Hungry Like the Wolf
by Shinoda Senshi
Summary: His ex-boyfriend was a real dog. His new lover... He was something else entirely... *m/m slash*
1. PROLOGUE

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**PROLOGUE**

My life is seriously fucked up.

Not in the '_can't afford to pay my rent so I do online strip teases to make ends meet_' kind of fucked up. Not the '_my house burned down, destroying all my worldly possession and killing my cat Fluffy_' kind, either. I would _kill_ to have those types of problems.

No. I'm the unlucky schmuck who is in a loving, caring, committed relationship with a man who, depending on the night, will either fuck me into unconsciousness or eat me raw and bloody.

And not the good kind of eating, either.

Although Lord knows he has the tongue for the job.

Let me begin by stating that I am a fairly open-minded individual. I believe that we are not the only forms of intelligent life in the universe. I can be persuaded that, on at least one occasion, we have been visited by entities from other worlds.

But a man has to draw the line somewhere.

Lock Ness Monster? Sure, I'll bite.

Big Foot? Bit of a stretch, but not impossible.

Werewolves? Yeah, right, pal. Pull the other one, it's got bells on.

I blame my best friend.

I can't blame Kane because he didn't ask to be born that way and he can't help being attracted to me. He swears up and down that it has absolutely nothing to do with animal magnetism. Apparently, my winning personality trumps his occasional desire to rip my clothes off and bend me over the sofa.

Point of interest, referring to being taken from behind by one's shapeshifting boyfriend as 'doggie style' is a very, very dumb move. Especially when one is naked and the sometimes furry bastard is faster than he looks.

Jeff Hardy is to blame. I should never have gone with him that weekend. Anyone who suggests camping as a practical way to get over being dumped simply cannot be trusted.


	2. ONE

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**ONE**

"And what's wrong with camping?"

Did he want the short list? The bugs. The dirt that gets everywhere, no matter how careful I try to be. The taking a dump in the woods surrounded by all of Bambi's friends. Not that portable toilets were a better option.

Jeff plucked a mushroom off of his pizza and flung it at my face. "I know what you're thinking and it's nothing like that."

The disturbing thing about Jeff – aside from the green and purple streaks in his hair and his insistence to wear nail polish, regardless of the occasion – was that he probably could read my mind. The guy was gifted. Not that he was hitting the Powerball jackpot anytime soon. Jeff kind of knew things. He was intuitive. Not to mention extremely aggravating.

Peeling off two slices of pepperoni, I took the bait. "Okay, Kreskin. What's going through my noggin'?"

Jeff gracefully accepted my pizza topping offering. He and I were splitting a large pepperoni and mushroom pizza. What we liked to call the Broken Heart Special. Not that I was especially heartbroken over Adam walking out. He was a massive douchenozzle with more security issues than even Dr. Phil could handle. His having a mediocre prick did not help matters.

"The kind of camping I'm talking about has a real shower and actual beds." He took a bite, chewing slowly. "The aloe is actually in the toilet paper. No having to hide food from bears because it's safely stowed inside a refrigerator. In a kitchen. In a cabin. With a door. That locks."

I hated to admit it, but the prospect sounded promising. It would be nice to get away for a while. A vacation was long overdue.

"You have to come with me," Jeff prodded. "Matt canceled on me at the last minute. The asshole. And it won't be as fun by myself."

The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. "Does that mean I have to share a bathroom with you?"

I could have done without the eyeroll, thank you very much. It was a valid question.

"You shared a bathroom with Adam, didn't you?"

"Don't remind me." The man had more hair and skin products that a cosmetology college. I was fairly certain he owned a nose hair trimmer, though he denied it. Quite vocally, actually. Whenever confronted with a need to lie, almost everything out of his mouth was _'Did not and you can't prove it'_. "I'll take you over him any day of the week."

Jeff grinned triumphantly. "And don't you forget it."

We returned to our pizza, swapping toppings when necessary. One day, we would simply order a pizza with pepperoni on one side and mushrooms on the other. But that wouldn't be as fun.

"Hey, Chris, how come you never tried to hit on me?" He grasped my pepperoni offering between his teeth.

I paused, giving the question a fair amount of consideration. Jeff and I have been 'together' for almost fifteen years. We went to the gym together, to the movies together, and, apparently, camping together. One would imagine the platonic status of our relationship would have gone out the window at some point.

"You remember that frat party junior year?" I asked.

"Which party?"

Sadly, there were many, many parties. Jeff and I had kind of worked our way through the Greek alphabet. "The Kappa Psi party. The one where Christian taught you what 'tea bagging' was."

If the Mona Lisa's smile was enigmatic, Jeff's was simply sinful. "Oh, yeah… That was a good night." He was momentarily lost in the memory. "What about it?"

"Do you remember the ride back to the dorm?"

"Doubtful. You were the designated driver, after all."

Jeff liked liquor. Almost as much as he liked meat. When the two got mixed together, it was an explosion of epic proportions.

I attempted to jog his memory. "On the way home, you offered to show me what you had learned. Then you threw up on my lap. Thus killing any erection I might have had."

Jeff had the grace to look embarrassed. It did not last long. "That was you? Sorry, Chris. Jager and I are not the best of friends. You still interested?"

It took me a few moments to comprehend the question. "Are you actually offering?" I knew he wasn't drunk. If he had alcohol, he would be sharing.

"Nope." There was that sinful sign again.

"Cocktease."

He handed me a mushroom in appeasement. "However, I am willing to find you the sexiest beast out there to put Adam to shame."

"It wouldn't take much. I'm up for anything that doesn't quit on me after two and a half minutes."

They said that, if you wanted to make God laugh, you should simply speak your plans aloud. The Almighty had a wicked sense of humor.


	3. TWO

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**TWO**

The cabin was everything Jeff had promised. A mixture of rustic and modern comfort. A deep, wood burning fireplace sat adjacent to a fifty-inch flat screen plasma television. Two separate bedrooms which were spacious yet warm. The bathroom alone was a religious experience. An authentic claw-footed tub surrounded by spotless white marble. The chrome taps and faucets glinted under the skylights. And a real, honest to goodness toilet.

I plopped myself down on the couch, television remote in hand, prepared to give myself over to nature's bounty. "How in the hell did you manage this?"

Jeff dumped his duffle beside the door. "Matt knows a guy."

"Really?" That put the elder Hardy into a new light. "And how well does he know him?"

A series of interesting images sprang to mind. The one involving a jar of maraschino cherries was in turns both intriguing and disturbing.

"Get your mind out of the gutter!" He kicked my foot for emphasis. "My brother is not like that."

"Of course," I agreed. "Only one shameless hussy per household. That's the universal rule."

I could get away with that comment for three reasons. One: Jeff was the absolute best among my friends. Two: It was an absolutely true statement. And lastly: Jeff could say the exact same thing about me. Two peas in a pod, we were.

Having nothing to dispute, Jeff simply said, "Come help me unload the provisions."

A weekend alone in the woods called for special supplies. There was the usual crackers and peanut butter. However, in the event we found ourselves some company, it didn't hurt to come prepared. Vodka, rum, tequila, beer – both imported and domestic – and some liqueurs, because a nice, fruity drink is always nice.

I was unloading a case of Guinness when they emerged from the woods. Two of the biggest men I had ever laid my baby blue eyes on. Beyond big, they were. Massive. Even from the shrinking distance of twenty feet, I could tell their biceps alone were enough to make even the toughest of bouncers think twice.

The minute I saw them, I knew I was a goner.

Jeff was right there along with me. "I call in the one in black with the tattoos."

"I didn't know you had a thing for body art."

Licking his lips in anticipation, Jeff whispered, "Five minutes with him and I'd be up for anything."

No truer words had ever been spoken.

Things might have turned out differently if they had kept walking. There were cabins further down in either direction the road spanned. They appeared intent to keep on going. If only Jeff's Southern hospitality hadn't kicked in.

"Hey!" Jeff shouted. He waved one arm in the air while hoisting a six pack of Hard Lemonade with the other. "You guys thirsty?"

I felt the need to inject some common sense into the situation. The urge did not come often, so I indulged. "They could be serial killers. Axe murderers. Look at those hands. More than capable of crushing a wind pipe."

Jeff would hear none of it. Not that I thought otherwise. I was barely convinced by the argument myself. Then again, neither one of us were exactly thinking with our upstairs heads. "If I don't get a pair of those hands on my ass by this evening, I don't know what I'll do."

"Duly noted."

I should have noticed the distance spanning from our cabin to the next. Three miles on a single lane dirt road with nothing but lush greenery on either side. I should have recognized they had come not from the road, but from the woods. Thick and wild with no clear path. Finally – and I would later kick myself for this particular lack of observation – they wore no backpacks. Not even a water bottle carried in a sling.

The two men stopped at Jeff's call. They turned and faced us. They did not move. Standing stock still as a stiff breeze churned fallen leaves and debris around their feet. They were gorgeous and terrifying.

We were so dead.

"If they have their way with us, then slit our throats, do I have permission to haunt your brother?"

Jeff pinched my ass with his free hand. "Tinkerbell, if they have their wicked, wicked way with us, I don't care if you haunt Kim Kardashian."

The tattooed one Jeff had claimed turned to his companion. If they spoke, I could not hear them. The spare one nodded. Then they approached.

By the time they reached us, even Jeff was taken aback by their size. Their clothes were form fitting without being ridiculously tight. These were not the type of men to buy muscle shirts. They were the type that turned any shirt into a muscle shirt. Pullover. Turtleneck. Cardigan. Broad in the chest, wide throughout the shoulders, and biceps that flexed even when they sneezed.

These were hard men. Men who had what it took to get the job done. And they'd work all night for satisfaction.

"You got any Johnny Walker?" asked the tattooed one.

I merely nodded. Jeff had misplaced his tongue, although I could imagine where it would be found later.

"I'm Mark." He hitched a thumb at his companion. "This is my little brother Kane."

The one called Kane appeared to bristle at his 'little brother' status.

Jeff finally got his mouth in working order. "Little?" he blurted. "If he's little, then I'm Mary Poppins."

The rumble from Mark's chest was most likely a laugh. It sounded like thunder. Full of menace. "You got a spoonful of sugar for me, baby face?"

If Jeff answered, I didn't hear him. I was too drawn by Kane's eyes. A bright, almost electric shade of blue. It couldn't have been natural. The manufactured magic of contact lenses, no doubt. Regardless of their origin, I found myself trapped in his gaze. I could not look away, not even for a moment. The automatic reflex of blinking was put on hold.

Transfixed, I did not feel him take the case of beer from my hands. Not until he turned to head towards our cabin. No longer spellbound, I could only stare down at my suddenly empty hands.

Something had changed. Jeff still stood beside me. Babbling at his future conquest. Business as usual.

The change was inside me. In my heart. In my soul.

I turned to leave my friend behind. I followed Kane into the cabin.

Oh, I was such a goner…


	4. THREE

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**THREE**

It was their monthly ritual. A few days away from it all. Typically, they preferred to stay away from other people. Their goal was achieving oneness with nature. Apparently, two attractive men with a backseat full of booze had a way of changing plans.

The television was turned to some random channel. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered but Mark and Kane and the solitude surrounding us.

They didn't tell us where they were from. Or where their cabin was. Or how they had managed to get here on foot. Not so much as a last name did we get. Not until later, anyway. Much, much later.

Mark took his whiskey straight. Jeff fixed a rum and Coke for himself and me. Kane slowly sipped a cold beer.

"How long are you here for?" Mark asked.

Jeff answered, "The weekend. Same as you."

"Same as me," repeated Mark. He smiled and chuckled and Jeff practically came in his pants.

I got the feeling that I was not part of their conversation. Which was fine by me. I was too preoccupied with Kane to feel insulted.

Kane didn't say much. He asked more questions than he answered. Whether he was being purposefully enigmatic, I could not tell. It was his voice that interested me, not his life history.

Another mistake on my part.

His voice was warm honey poured across my skin and lapped up. I watched his lips form the words, caring nothing for their meaning. Never had I been so physically aware of another human being. His thigh pressed against my own, radiating body heat through the thing material of his pants. I fought to keep my eyes on his face. To keep from stripping him naked in my mind.

Despite my love of men, I was not an easy lay. I had standards. I would not put out for just anyone, simply because they had a hard dick.

I knew I would sleep with Kane. The actual amount of sleeping that would take place was debatable. In all honesty, if Jeff wasn't right across from me, I would have been spread eagle and bare naked in front of the fireplace.

Kane's lips curved into a smile. It was small, yet precious and I wanted to kiss it off of his face. "Chris?"

He could say my name a thousand times and it would never stop making me shiver. It was all the sexually charged words in the English language – _cock ass suck blow fuck_ – melded together into one glorious syllable. It rolled across his tongue, fell from his lips, and shot straight to my crotch.

Kane spoke my name and made me his.

"Chris?" That small smile grew wider.

I realized an answer was expected of me. I had no clue what we were talking about. A nuclear bomb could have gone off, decimating three-quarters of the population and setting fire to the surrounding woods and I was none the wiser. "Yeah?"

"I asked if you were with anyone."

Was I with anyone?

"I'm with Jeff," I replied. "But not in that way. I mean, I've seen him naked and he's seen me naked and we've even been naked at the same time, but we've never been naked _together_." I paused to let my brain catch up with my mouth and was mortified. "Dear god, why do I even talk?"

While his brother's laugh held an edge of doom, Kane's was rich and dark. It spoke of unimaginable pleasures found beneath the sheets, on the floor, and across the backseat of a pickup truck. It turned me inside out and flipped me upside down. It tore my old world apart and built a new one just for us.

God, I was so lost. Truly, I never stood a chance.

"I like you, Chris." His words were plain. So very simple. Yet I felt an unnaturally heavy weight behind him.

"I like you, too." I felt stupid saying that. I had left _like_ in the dust. I _wanted_. I _needed_. I lusted after a man I had known for less than an hour. "How far is your place from here? I mean your cabin."

Another chuckle from him had me imagining his chest vibrating against my skin. "Are you suggesting I abandon my brother?"

I took a moment to consider how bad the truth might sound. I would also be leaving my best friend in the hands of a stranger. And for what? The booty call to end all booty calls?

"Yes."

Because it wouldn't be just one night. Not two nights, not a week. I wanted to know every inch of this man. Again and again and again. Until I could read his body with my fingertips. Until all it took for me to come was the touch of his hand and the whisper of my name from his lips. All that knowledge and experience would take a lifetime to acquire.

Kane was silent. It stretched across unbearable seconds. His electric eyes scanned my face. As if searching out the truth. Those mesmerizing eyes closed. "It's too late," he sighed.

I did not understand how right he truly was.

They purr of an engine coming to life startled me. I looked around and found Jeff had gone. Mark was nowhere to be found. I did not doubt the two of them were together, heading back to the cabin Mark shared with his brother.

We were alone. In the woods. And the nearest people were driving further and further away.

Kane placed his beer on the table before taking away my empty glass. I couldn't remember finishing my drink. Wrapping a cool hand around my wrist, he led me to the bedroom.


	5. FOUR

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**FOUR**

Contrary to what my ego would have me believe, I was no smooth operator. I had never talked the pants off of anyone. What I did have was confidence and a whole lot of swagger. I could make a guy believe I was the hottest thing in the room.

Kane was the sun gone supernova. I would've had my pants down around my ankles on the front porch if he had asked.

I would be the first to admit that my advances lacked their usual finesse. But my intentions could not have been clearer. He might have had more than a foot on me in the height department, but I climbed that man like a telephone pole worker.

My lips were barely on him before he had me on the bed. His hands captured my wrists, forcing my arms into the mattress. Kane loomed over me. His all-encompassing presence was intimidating. There was no way I could hope to overpower him. Kane was in control and that was how we both wanted it.

"You have to slow down." I watched his mouth move, longing to taste it again. "We have all day."

"And all night," I quickly added.

Kane said nothing. Simply stared at me before lowering his lips to mine.

The fire he breathed into me seared my soul. My heart thudded harder against my ribs with every swipe of his tongue. I was teased and tormented as he nibbled on my lips. I yearned to feel his teeth scrape across the tender flesh of my earlobe or press into the meat of my shoulder. The sweet mixture of pleasure and pain that only he could provide.

"I want…" Once free of his mouth, I could not communicate the sheer intensity of my cravings.

Kane showed me the smallest hint of his compassion. Patiently, he whispered, "Take your time." He released one of my wrists to stroke my cheek. "I'm not going anywhere."

Maybe not, but I was going out of my mind.

Focusing on his eyes, I collected my scattered thoughts. "I want to touch you." It was the simplest of my desires.

"But we are touching." His thumb swept across my bottom lip.

So distracting, yet so enticing. "No. _You_ are touching _me_. There is a difference." It was the difference between a pothole and the Grand Canyon.

Kane released my other wrist. I felt the words spoken across my skin. "Show me."

What this man could accomplish with two words my ex-boyfriend couldn't manage with a dirty skin mag and a lubed-up dildo.

I started with his face. Using only the lightest of touches, I traced the arch of his dark eyebrow. His eyelashes feathered across my fingers. As I brushed aside his long brown hair, I spied four long, deep scars on the side of his face. They trailed from his temple, past his jaw, and down his neck.

"What happened?"

"Rough fight," he said. "Don't worry, though. He started it, but I finished it."

I hated to imagine the type of person dumb enough to go toe-to-toe with Kane.

Rearing back, Kane pulled his shirt off over his head. It disappeared into the corner of the room. He placed his hands on either side of my head. A cage of smooth skin and taut muscle surrounded me.

Kane filled my field of vision. For all intents and purposes, my world began and ended with that one man.

I saw that the scars continued past his collar bone and down his chest. The fingers of my right hand overlaid the marks. I drew my hand down, continuing the path the attack would have taken. Down his chest, over his nipple, down his belly. My nails scored his skin, pressing harder than I would have dared with anyone else.

Kane's head fell forward as I mimicked the path with my other hand, dragging it down the opposite side. The muscles in his arms twitched with each scratching pass. "I knew you were the one," he moaned. His breath came in fast, hard bursts. "From the moment I saw you, smelled you, I knew. Knew that you were meant for me."

And then…

My clothes flew off.

There was no sensual undressing. No sultry strip tease.

Kane gripped my shirt around the collar and tore it down the middle. I was momentarily grateful I had neglected to wear a belt. Otherwise, it would have been ripped from their loops. How he managed to get my shoes off without snapping my ankles, I may never know. Kane wielded the awe-inspiring strength of a hurricane, yet I held no fear that he would harm me.

Kane yanked my pants down with such urgency that I had barely raised my hips off the bedspread before they were off and hurled into the far-off No Man's Land with the rest of my clothing.

I soon found myself at an even greater disadvantage. I was naked; Kane was not. His pants remained in place. I would have protested, but his electric gaze stole away from my words. Its intensity had multiplied. The air around us practically tingled with pent up energy.

"Kane… Please…" I didn't know what I wanted.

No. That was a lie. I knew exactly what I wanted.

Everything.


	6. FIVE

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**FIVE**

"Chris, listen to me. Please." His words were forced out between clenched teeth. He squeezed his eyes shut. His body vibrated with unreleased tension. "I am more than what you think I am. So much more."

Did he think I got like this for just any man? Granted, my past was filled with more wild, crazy nights than could be mentioned in the Penthouse forum.

But this…

There was no comparison. No one in the world like Kane. Strong yet gentle. Fierce yet so very patient. Yes, he _was_ more. More than I had ever dreamed of having.

"I've never wanted anything this badly." Kane seemed to be talking more to himself than to me. "The way you touch me. The way you look at me." Eyes open once again, they dipped down to my crotch. "So hard for me already, Chris?"

He actually sounded surprised.

"Yes." If having a hard dick for this man so soon after meeting him made me a slut, then so be it. "What about you, Kane? Do you want me?"

His hands went for his zipper, but I stopped him. "Please… Let me."

Kane relented. He did more than that. He let me ease him onto his back.

My hands trembled as I grasped the button to his pants. He steadied them by placing his hands on top. With his help, I was able to release the button and lower the zipper.

His sigh of relief as his pants were drawn down mirrored my own as his hard cock sprung into view. So thick and its helmeted head already leaking.

Kane's pants only made it to his knees before I gave in to the urge to touch him. Delicately, I ran my fingers along the underside of his shaft. The immense heat of his flesh was astonishing. My palm wiped across the weeping head, causing Kane to buck into my hand.

"_Chris_…" The strain in his voice made my pulse race. This was real. I could see him, touch him, hear him.

Almost taste him.

Almost was not good enough.

I pulled the pants completely off him. I wanted Kane totally naked.

My fingers curled around his thick length. His breath shot between his teeth. Kneeling between his splayed legs, I set about my worship of this superior man.

I set the rhythm slow. Relishing the slide of skin against skin. I cupped his sac with my free hand. So large and heavy and full of seed. I wanted to feel that spunk splash across my tongue. Or drizzled down my chin. Or ooze from my tender, well fucked asshole.

"Chris, please…"

The smell of his alpha maleness made me giddy. "I take requests. Tell me what you want."

His response was an insistent hand on the back of my head.

I still needed to hear him say it. "Tell me what you want, Kane. I'll do anything if you just say the words." A rather broad liberty, considering how little I knew of him.

Gathering his wits, Kane moaned, "Use your mouth, Chris. Use those lips that were made to suck me."

I was nothing, if not accommodating.

My tongue followed the path my fingers had traveled. Spreading hot saliva all around his dick. The head gave over its prize of salty fluid, which I lapped up most eagerly.

Kane groaned at every sweep and swirl. I mapped his cock with my tongue. Memorizing every ridge and raised vein.

"Your mouth, Chris… _Fuck_…" His fingers tightened in my hair.

I would oblige. Jeff had not been the only apt pupil at those fraternity parties.

A flurry of _fucks_ issued from Kane as I suckled his sac. Moving from one nut to the other.

"Damn it, Chris! Suck my cock before I flip you over and force it down your throat!"

My goodness, he had a way with words. They certainly painted a vivid picture.

Again, I obliged. Partly because his order made my own cock ache for release. And partly because it would truly have been my pleasure.

The head of Kane's cock slid between my lips, shattering the last of his control. He held my head in place as he fucked my mouth. Shallow thrusts at first. They grew deeper as he became accustomed to my heat. I sucked as best I could, keeping my lips tight around the shaft. The taste of him filled my mouth. It mingled with my spit and I swallowed it greedily.

Kane soon pressed into the back of my throat. My hand wrapped around the portion I had yet to consume. I wanted more. I wanted it all.

I knew I couldn't handle it. That fact did not keep me from trying. Each thrust brought him further. I could either swallow my spit or swallow his cock. An easy decision to make.

With saliva bubbling from my lips and a delicious dick gagging me with each brutally deep thrust, I felt I would come without even having to touch myself.

Not yet, goddamn it. Not until he was truly inside me. Splitting me in two the way he was meant to.

I pulled back, away from this magnificent man. "Kane?" I continued to idly stroke him.

Propping himself up on his elbows, he fixed me with his disarmingly deep stare. "Have we got a request?"

Cheeky man. Not to mention brave, considering I had him by his most precious body part. "I want you inside me, Kane."

"I was, honey. Couldn't you feel me?"

I felt plenty and he knew it. Just to spite him, I licked the tip of his cock. Watching him shudder and his eyes roll back in his skull was a pleasure in itself.

Obviously, more direct language was necessary. "I want you to fuck me. I want you to take me and make me yours. Otherwise, I am walking out the front door and never coming back."

A boldface lie, that last part. Kane knew it, too. There was no walking away. No turning back. From the moment I gazed into those blue eyes, I knew where I belonged.


	7. SIX

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**SIX**

I had never been a Boy Scout, yet I always made it a priority to be prepared. One never knew when an opportunity would present itself. A bottle of lubricant in one hand and a box of condoms in the other, I returned to the bedroom.

Kane knelt on the bed, facing the door. Dear god, how could he be so fucking _big_? It was as if he had grown in the few short seconds I had left the room. All chest and arms and thighs, he dwarfed the bed. He was, by far, the largest thing in the room. His thick cocked jutted towards me. Bobbing slightly under its own weight. I swallowed hard, remembering the taste of it in my mouth, the slide across my lips and tongue. It had nearly suffocated me yet I could not wait to get my hands on it again.

Unsettingly sharp, unnaturally bright eyes tracked my every movement. I could feel the heat of his gaze on my skin. I didn't know whether to flaunt what I had or curl up into a tight ball in the middle of the floor. I chose bravado. Because he obviously hungered for me as intensely as I craved him.

Crawling up the king-sized bed, I brushed my lips across the head of his cock. Kane swore most eloquently as I took my time to taste him. His hand cradled my chin. It drew me up and away. My disappointment was fleeting. I knew there would be time for more of that later.

We would make the time.

I mapped the landscape of his body with my hands and mouth. Sliding them across every available inch of flesh. Over muscle and bone, my fingers coasted. My nails ghosted across his ribs, digging just deep enough to leave faint pink marks on his otherwise perfect skin. My tongue soothed the abrasions with long, languid strokes. I nipped and licked to my heart's content. I felt the throb of that particular organ beneath my lips. I kissed the spot over his heart, secure in the knowledge that it belonged to me.

Kane grasped my head with his thick fingers. Face inches from my own, he forced me to look into his eyes. They saw me as no other had. Saw beyond the big talk and the easy smile. Saw the Chris I tried to hide. Scared and insecure and so very alone. In that instance, I was truly known. Everything lay bare before those achingly beautiful eyes.

There was no accusation. No reproach. No sense of disgust or disapproval. I found nothing but understanding and acceptance. The past remained just that. In the past. Far away and forgotten. My future stood before me. Warm and welcoming.

Growling deep in his throat, Kane kissed me senseless. Coaxing tongue curing around my own. Fiery breath lying to waste that last bit of self that found me unworthy. Once gone, I was completely his.

I gripped his shoulders as the bottom dropped out of my world. Their strength helped ground me. Gave me something to cleave to as every shred of doubt disintegrated.

"Lost for so long." Kane's lips formed the words against my mouth. They brushed so delicately, the tenderness of his touch made my heart ached. "Never thought I would ever find you."

The blankets pressed against my bare back. A sudden panic overtook me as he drew away. My grasping fingers clutched tighter at his shoulders.

"Lubricant," he said, simply. "I need to make you ready." Kane retrieved the bottle, but did not bother with the box of rubbers. "There is nothing that I have that I can pass onto you."

A relief in so many ways.

Needing no instruction, I brought my knees to my chest. Offering myself completely to him.

A slick finger circled my hole. Teasing me as it skimmed around the rim. I wanted more. I wanted all he had to give me. The sheer magnitude of my desire stole the air from my lungs. It outweighed all reason, chased away thoughts that did not relate to Kane and the pleasure he would no doubt gift to me.

Want. Need. Have. Take. To love and fuck until we were sweaty and spent. We would carve away the world until there existed only the two of us.

Done with playing, Kane slid his finger inside me. I clenched around him tight, unexpectedly losing all control. I groaned into his mouth as my cock jerked. Warm spunk splattered across my stomach. That magnificent finger bent and beckoned. It pressed against the come button deep inside me.

I had never before been a quick shot. Pride wounded, I hid my face with my hands. "I swear that has never happened before."

Kane laughed. There was no condemnation in it. If anything, it brought new life to my softening shaft. "It's best to get the first one out of the way," he said. He pulled my hands away so I could see his smiling face. "Don't worry, honey. That was only one of many."

A second finger joined the first and I gave myself over to bliss. Moaning, writhing, panting. Not an ounce of shame remained within me. This was pleasure in its more pure and natural form. Two creatures loving and exploring each other.

An exquisite roughness swirled around my stomach. Kane's tongue made short work of the come cooling on by belly. Without a moment's hesitation, he took the head of my cock into his mouth. He sucked me slowly, taking my length with ease. My moans grew to a fevered pitch as this beautiful man worked to undo me all over again.

As much as it pained me to put an end to this treatment, I had greater desires than to be fingered into oblivion.

"Enough… Please… Now…" The ability to form coherent sentences was lost to me. I could only hope that those three words would be enough to convey my needs.

The swiftness of Kane's actions shocked me. He lifted me into his arms as if I weighed nothing. Yet he cradled me to his chest like his most precious possession.

He lay on his back, allowing me to straddle his waist. His hard shaft nestled between my cheeks. I shifted lower, struggling to ignore the firestorm ignited by the friction of his cock sliding along the underside of me.

"Here." Kane popped the top on the bottle.

I held out my hands and let the liquid flow into them. It was cool against my palms.

His head fell back onto the pillows as soon as my fingers wrapped around him. I prepared Kane with the same level of affection and thoroughness he had shown me. I coated the shaft. Smoothed my palms over the head. I was not satisfied until every inch was perfectly slick.

"Now," I pleaded. I was not in the habit of begging. Kane had turned me so completely inside out, I no longer knew what normal was.

Kane shook his head and broke my heart. "You have to do this," he explained. "You have to make this move. This has to be _your_ choice."

He was giving me an out. It was kind and considerate and I would always thank him for that. But there were no other options for me. There was nowhere else I wanted to be, no one else I would choose to be with. I could no more deny myself the pleasure of his company than I could will my heart to stop beating.

With a calmness brought about only by the unnerving certainty that I was making the right decision, I took him in my hands. For one breathless moment, it felt like the head would not squeeze through my already loosened muscles. His fingers gripped my ass. Spreading my cheeks further apart. I bore down and groaned with relief as Kane finally entered me. Groans turned to frenzied gasps as I took the length of him. Stretched taut around his cock, it slid deep. I feared and prayed it would never end.

Words failed to express the joy and wholeness I experienced while being so full of him. I struggled to catch my breath, to slow the pounding of my heart. Having reached bottom, I shifted forward. That slight movement unleashed a wave of pleasure that threatened to unravel my ever-slipping sanity. Kane rubbed at hidden places, spots I never knew existed. I struggled to maintain a shred of dignity.

It was a losing battle.

While the first step had been my own doing, Kane quickly assumed control. Taking hold of my hips, he raised me up. Up, up, up, his cock withdrew with a slowness that wrecked my soul. Its absence brought an emptiness that nearly had me in tears.

"_No_," I sighed, chest growing tighter with every second that passed without him buried inside me. "_Need want take me fill me hard and fast and deep make me whole._"

His upward thrust drove me forward. "This isn't over, honey."

Kane's voice held all the promise of the most forbidden of fantasies. Of dark, musty alleys and rough brick walls. Smooth leather and cold metal and the unmistakable slap of flesh against flesh. All the secret, unspoken desires made unbelievably real.

"This is just the beginning."

He fucked me with abandon. Safe in the knowledge that I would not stop him. I _could not_ stop him. Even if every one of my high school teachers burst into the room at that very moment, I would not even pause to cover myself. I'd simply instruct them to pull up a chair and begin taking notes.

I had thought that once he was inside, once I got what I wanted, the hunger would subside. I was so wrong. It grew exponentially with every thrust. I begged for more even though I could barely accept his abundant offering. Because Kane could give me more. Give me harder, deeper, faster. Spread me wide and stretch me open. Match me moan for moan.

My splayed fingers dug into the muscles of his chest. I could feel my nails scraping off layers of his skin. It would not have surprised me to see blood slowly creep to the surface. A part of me wanted to see it. Watch it seep and ooze. Lean down as he pounded me - _so deep so deep fucking balls deep all the way in me fuck fuck fuck _– and lick it up.

What started as a tingle at the base of my spine swiftly spiraled, up and outwards. Spreading across every nerve of my body. Its fierce intensity terrified me. I would not survive it. No human could.

"Kane, I can't…" The harder I fought, the more it consumed me. Dear god, how it burned. It was a brand on my soul and I cold not bear it.

A soothing hand cupped my cheek. The tips of his fingers stroked my eyelids. "You are mine and I am yours. Say it, Chris."

I focused what was left of my mind on his command. "You are mine," I choked out, throat dry, chest burning. "And I am yours."

The fire in my veins did not subside. Rather, it transformed, serving to fuel my strength. It encompassed me like my lovers arms and I no longer knew fear.

"We are one," said Kane. His voice no more than a whisper in my head. "My mate for life."

I looked once more into those electric blue eyes. I gave myself over to the truth. "We are one," I repeated. _Never alone, always loved_. "My mate for life."

Passion blazed within me until I felt my very atoms would fly apart. A full-bodied orgasm overtook me. I held onto Kane for dear life. Shivering and moaning, I rode it out. The first shot of Kane's seed triggered another wave. I collapsed atop his chest. Trembling as my muscles milked his pulsing cock of his come.

Soon he stilled and softened.

The rising of his chest along with the steady beat of his heart lulled me into a deep and peaceful sleep.


	8. SEVEN

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**SEVEN**

A slamming door yanked me into consciousness. The world in front of my eyes did a three-sixty spin the likes of which were only seen in Olympic figure skating. My head felt like it had been racked around in a pinball machine. Turning slowly so as to keep my brain inside my skull, I glanced out of the window and found that the sun was close to setting.

"Kane!" The shout came from the main part of the cabin.

My heart squeezed tight inside my chest. My vision blurred. I couldn't find Kane. Had he left me sometime after finishing the act?

The answer came from the dark corner of the bedroom. "Here." Kane stepped into the fading light filtering into the room. He was dressed only from the waist down. As if taking a mind-reading class from Jeff, he said, "You can't get rid of me that easily, Chris."

Mark bellowed before I could respond. "Light's dying! We gotta _go_!"

Making an indelicate gesture at the door and those who waited on the otherside, Kane strode over to the bed. This was the second time in a matter of hours that I had found myself naked while he was not. "My brother can be a real buzz kill." I would not argue with him about that. "We got some business to take care of. I'll be back in the morning, okay?"

I nodded, not really wanting him to leave, yet not wishing to appear a clingy mess. It was too early in our relationship for that kind of behavior.

Kane handed me his shirt. "If you happen to go out into the woods tonight, wear this."

"Why would I want to do that?" I took his shirt anyway. I had no intentions of traveling farther than the living room couch.

His smile made me want to leap all over him again. "Stranger things have happened."

"Kane!"

"Keep your pants on!" he snapped. A quick kiss was all I received before he was gone.

I laid there on the bed for a few moments, squinting into the light of the setting sun. My body was well rested, but something inside of me could not make peace with Kane's leaving. I could think of a dozen things to do to while away the hours until he returned. None of them were as pleasing as being curled up beneath him.

A whistle cut through the air. "Yo, Chris! You decent?"

Jeff had come back to the cabin with Mark.

I rushed to locate my scattered clothes. There was no reason to let Jeff assume that I had let a complete stranger screw my brains out. Granted, larger leaps had been made. Waltzing into the living room buck naked, however, would remove all doubt.

Subconsciously slipping Kane's shirt over my head, I exited the bedroom. "Hey," I said, by way of greeting. "You and Mark have a nice nature hike?"

Jeff absentmindedly tugged at his sleeves. "Yeah, something like that." He smiled, almost to himself. It was shy and reserved. Two words that I would never use to describe Jeff Hardy.

"Was it good?"

We were pros in the Kiss and Tell department. However, if I was going to get the blow by blow, I would need a drink. My nerves were a bit frazzled. A nice cold Screwdriver would to the trick.

Jeff was halfway to the kitchen area by the time I finished my thought. Pulling the bottle of vodka out of the cabinet, he unscrewed the cap. "Good," he said, "doesn't even begin to cover it. He put every lover I've ever had to shame. Including Christian and he put my ankles behind my head!" He mixed the drinks and poured them out. "What about you? Did Kane keep you entertained?"

Reruns of _The Andy Griffith Show_ entertained me. I would bust a gut every time Barney Fife moseyed onto the screen. However, the town folk of Mayberry could not hold a candle to Kane.

Jeff performed yet another mind-reading feat. "He rocked your world, didn't he?"

"Oh, yeah." There was no denying it. "I think he was just what I needed to put Adam in my rearview mirror."

"I will raise a glass to that!" And he did, with much flair.

As the sun sank below the horizon, Jeff and I got ourselves settled. It had been an eventful afternoon.

We were on our second round of Screwdrivers when I noticed something off about Jeff's wardrobe. "Where did you get that shirt?" The hem hung down to his knees and he was constantly pushing up the sleeves. Also, Jeff was not a flannel wearing kind of guy.

"It's Mark's" replied Jeff. There was that private smile again. He stroked the material of his newly acquired shirt affectionately. "Said he wanted me to wear it if I went out tonight." He brought the collar up to his nose. "It even smells like him."

Jeff had adopted a dreamy tone that had me asking, "You and that shirt need some private time? Because I can head back in the room and put on my headphones. Although, I doubt even the pounding drums and raging guitars of Metallica are capable of drowning you out when you're _in the mood_."

Picking at the sleeve of my shirt, Jeff countered, "The only thing you'd be doing is wrapping _that_ shirt around your pillow and cuddling with it all night. And cuddling would be tamest act you'd engage in with your stand-in boyfriend."

I wanted to tell Jeff that Kane was not, despite his warped way of interpreting my outfit, my boyfriend. After my toxic relationship with Adam, long term interaction was the furthest from my mind. Kane was merely an incredibly hunky weekend romp to use as jack off material when I found myself stuck in between partners.

As satisfying as wiping that smug grin off of his face might have been, it would also be the biggest lie ever spoken in the history of the world.

"Let's just both agree that we each had a very nice afternoon and leave it at that."

We settled into a comfortable silence, drinks in hand and sharing a can of Pringles, as Optimus Prime kicked Decepticon butt.

As expected, Jeff booed and hissed the second Megan Fox graced the screen with her cleavage. He turned to me so that he could avoid her vacant expression. "So, is this a one-time thing or should I add Kane to my cell phone contacts?"

For Jeff, adding a contact held more significance than a royal wedding announcement. Only the truly worthy made the cut.

Point of fact, Adam never did.

I often found, at times, that avoidance was easier on my conscience than lying. "Do what you want. I won't stop you."

As much as I attempted to school my features into a mask of indifference, Jeff – being the Jedi best friend that he was – saw right through me. "Damn…" He loudly munched on a chip. "That man went all big bang on your ass. Rocked your entire universe."

"I don't know what you're talking about." That denial would stay with me for only another twenty-four hours.

Jeff graced me with his most condescending frown. "Please, Jericho. I know your 'cool' face and it doesn't work on me. Besides, Mark was equally amazing."

I somehow doubted that. They may have shared genetics, but the similarities stopped there. I'd been around the block more times than a lost tourist. I had yet to find anyone of Kane's caliber. "I'll start working on you and Mark's wedding invitations when we get back. Ask your mate for life how he feels about an autumn ceremony."

Jeff paused, a chip hovering inches from his mouth. It was highly comical. "What did you say?"

"Relax, you freak." I swiped his dangling chip for myself. "I was kidding. Although, Mark does have the coloring for the season."

I did not expect Jeff to climb into my lap. We often shared food, without repercussions. He gripped my face between both his hands. Nose to nose, he growled, "What did you call Mark?"

"You been talking growling lessons while you were away?" Jeff, amazingly, was not amused. "I called him your mate for life, now get off me, you crazy monkey!"

He released me, but I could still feel the dents he'd made in my face with his crazy strong and crazy scrawny fingers. Jeff began gnawing on his fingernails. That was never a good sign. He was either nervous or upset or both. I pulled a cushion into my lap, in the event he tried to hop on me again like I was a merry-go-round pony.

"How did you know about that?" He continued to munch on his salt and vinegar flavored nails. "He couldn't have told you. How do you know?"

No more Screwdrivers for Mr. Hardy. The bar was now closed. He didn't have to go to his room, but he was banned from the liquor cabinet. "Nobody told me," I explained to my clearly hysterical friend. Obviously, the great outdoors were having an adverse effect on him. "I just said it to say it. It doesn't _mean_ anything. Now be quiet and watch the pretty boy run for his life while being chased by evil robots that, for inexplicable reasons, are interested in his brain."

Jeff's wide eyes searched my face. I held up my cushion as a shield. "When you and Kane were… How can I put this delicately? Getting to know each other… Did anything happen?"

He was really asking for it.

Taking a long sip, I launched into recap mode. "Well, first we kissed. Fucking fantastic kisser, by the way. And then, he ripped my shirt off. Literally. Right down the middle. Made me glad I wasn't wearing my Def Leppard t-shirt or else I might seriously have been pissed off. For about two-point-eight seconds because, as I said, the man kisses like a fiend."

"Did he say anything?" Jeff prodded. "And don't get smart with me, Cookie. You're not good at it."

If this was how he treated his friends, I hated to be his enemy.

To put Jeff at ease, I attempted to run through everything Kane had said. Unfortunately, I kept getting hung up on his hot, sweaty, naked body. I wouldn't have minded hanging onto that body for a while longer. "I don't know, Jeff. The usual stuff people say when they're caught up in the moment. _I want you, I need you_."

"We are one," supplied Jeff. "My mate for life."

The room became a vacuum. No sound. No air. I simply sat there, waiting for my lungs to explode.

"You're not blinking," Jeff said. He actually waved the Pringles can in front of my face. "That's even worse than not talking. I take your catatonic state to mean that those words rang a bell."

Yes, most definitely. A bell the size of Big Ben.

Jeff might have been cut off, but I sorely needed another drink.


	9. EIGHT

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**EIGHT**

I could count on one hand the number of heart-to-heart discussions between Jeff and myself over the decades. The first was the pact declaring it nigh unto high treason to ever mess with the other's ex. The latest, taking place in a cabin in the middle of the freaking woods, required a healthy dose of Bailey's Irish crème and a great big pot of coffee.

By dawn's early light, we found ourselves with more questions than answers. It was one thing to share a special, intimate moment with a person who might become an extremely significant other. It was something entirely different to find that that person was reading from a script.

Jeff viciously stirred his spiked coffee. "I say we get 'em drunk and then start the interrogation. All I need is an enema bag filled with ice water and a pair of tweezers."

A knock at the door signaled the arrival of the persons of interest.

"Don't answer," I said. "Let them suffer."

Jeff had other ideas. "Now, Chris. That would be rude. The gentlemen need time to explain themselves. _Then_ we'll rip their fingernails off with rusty pliers."

Again, I was grateful not to be on his bad side.

Mark and Kane wore identical grins as Jeff led them to the kitchen table. Like slow, stupid cows entering a slaughterhouse.

"How was your evening?" Jeff inquired. He took his seat beside me. We sat opposite the brothers.

"Good," replied Mark. He only had eyes for Jeff.

Jeff, on the other hand, only had eyes for the butcher block with the really big knives. He did not handle betrayal well.

Kane reached across the table to touch my hand. It pained me that, a few hours earlier, I would have welcomed the contact. Now the action left me sick inside. I kept my distance. There would be no physical interaction of that kind until I heard the right answers.

"Chris and I had a good night, too." Jeff was coiled and primed to strike. "Had a nice, long chat. About the two of you. And then a funny thing happened." It was about to get very unfunny, very quickly. "It seemed that we got ourselves involved with a pair of plagiarizers. One copying off of the other."

Their looks of confusion were priceless, I had to admit.

I picked up where Jeff left off. "I know what it's like, guys. When you find a line that works, you want to spread it around to your buddies. Share the wealth. And it really is a great line. _We are one, my mate for life_. Just the right amount of romance to set the mood without coming off too sappy."

"We don't care who thought it up first," Jeff continued. "But the next time you use it, check with each other first. Or at least lay it on people who don't know one another. Fatal mistake, fellas."

Mark's jaw hung open like a carnival clown's. Kane looked like someone had just flushed his pet goldfish down the toilet.

Words finally sprung from Mark's mouth. "I knew our explanation was going to be difficult, but this is unexpected. Kane and I…" He paused, attempting to collect his thoughts. "It wasn't a line from some playbook. We swear. But it has been passed down through the ages."

"I see," said Jeff, silently seething inside. "A history of douchebaggery."

I had never actually seen someone facepalm themselves. Looked painful.

Kane slid a card across the table. "I can understand you not wanting to believe us. But be here before sundown this evening and you'll get all the answers you need."

"Probably more than you bargained for," grumbled Mark, his palm print glowing a livid red on his face.

They were bright enough to see themselves out.

* * *

><p>The debate lasted into the far hours of the afternoon. This spoke volumes of the hold these two men had on us. Jeff and I did not classify ourselves as the indecisive sort. Plus, Jeff had a very low tolerance for scheming jackasses. Hence his long-standing feud with my no longer long-term boyfriend.<p>

Our main problem was that we were never of the same mind at the same time. Whenever I was willing to give Kane – and, by extension, Mark – another chance, Jeff threatened to set the mysterious card on fire. Finally fed up, I suggested packing up and heading home early, putting the woods and the weekend behind us; Jeff lost himself in the memories of mind-blowing sex.

The sun hung low in the sky by the time we got our acts together. Jeff and I would hear the brothers out before coming to any further conclusions.

After punching the address into the GPS, we discovered the rendezvous point to be several miles further down the road. It eventually informed Jeff to take a turning onto what was little more than a general idea of a path. A nearby sign proclaimed we were approaching private property. The threat against trespassers was both vague and sinister.

"You sure about this?" Jeff asked. There was no way the car would make it down that narrow path. We would have to continue the journey on foot.

"Not the least bit sure, but we've come this far."

Aside from a possible Big Foot encounter or being eaten by a mountain lion, I had no real qualms about hiking through the rough, dense terrain. It was the environment that had this weird, B horror movie kind of creepy vibe to it. I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

Ever the telepath, Jeff said, "If there's some old, decrepit mansion at the end of this path, I'm hauling ass back to the car. I pray you keep up."

Invoking some higher power's humor, it was not a mansion that we came upon, but a house. A rather large house. Sprawling, actually. Almost too big to be called a house, really, but I was giving the term _mansion _a wide berth. It reminded me of the dormitories of our college campus.

The only thing standing between us on the path and the place that was most definitely not a mansion – that word was erased from my vocabulary – was a high, black metal gate.

"What do you think, Hardy?" I gripped one of the railings. "Used for keeping people out or locking people in?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin as a loud beep issued from an overlooked intercom.

"Name?" asked a gruff, disembodied voice.

Jeff leaned closer to the intercom, searching for some sort of communication button. "Hardy, party of two," he replied to the black box. "We have a sunset reservation."

Leave it to my best friend to antagonize what was probably the brainwashed drone of some Kool-Aid swilling cult leader.

"I notice you put it under your name and not mine."

"Of course," said Jeff. "This whole weekend was my idea. Aside from the hot, sweaty, animalistic sex and the super creepy house that probably wants to eat us."

The black gates swung smoothly open. Somehow, I would have been more at ease if they had creaked. Would have given the whole experience a more authentic, _House on Haunted Hill_ atmosphere. I hoped to eventually write this whole evening off as a Captain Morgan fueled nightmare.

Jeff hummed the _Scooby Doo_ theme as we passed through the gates.

The front door sprung open before we had mounted the first step. A man of around our age grinned down at us. "We thought you weren't going to make it. Glad you did, though. Come on in!" The stranger rushed down the steps, grabbed hold of our wrists, and hauled us up to and into the house.

A soft click behind us signaled we were, in fact, locked inside.

The enthusiastic man continued to tow us. Glancing at Jeff's panic-stricken face, I mumbled, "Yeah, there's no way this doesn't end bloody." Digging in my heels, I brought this run away locomotive to a stop. "Excuse me, but who are you and where are we and why are you so damn happy to see us?"

"Shane," the man said, releasing our hands so we could shake his. "Shane McMahon. I own this place. Well, it's family owned. Rather large, extended family. Which you'll meet sooner or later. More likely later. As for your second question, where you are is the safest place you could hope to be. We don't get many new faces around here so I'm sorry if I got a little carried away."

"I think I know this picture," chimed Jeff. "There was a deep hole and a red queen and a white rabbit with poor time management skills. I don't care what you say, buddy, we don't want any of your tea."

Shane's big brown eyes searched our faces. "Oh, you two are absolutely perfect."

I could imagine him rubbing his hands together with glee. I tried to gauge how far Jeff and I could get if I mule-kicked him in the jewels and we ran for the door.

The wall behind Shane proved to be two sliding doors seamlessly pressed together. They parted to reveal three individuals standing in what appeared to be a parlor. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jeff straighten his stance as Mark stepped forward.

"Was startin' to think I'd been stood up," Mark said in his usual rumbling voice. His eyes scanned Jeff in what I could only describe as a possessive manner. My best friend, despite his earlier homicidal urges, did not appear to mind. As far as they were concerned, the rest of us could turn into ottomans.

Kane maneuvered around Shane in order to stand directly in front of me. He reached for me, then hesitated. "You're still mad, aren't you?"

I struggled to stir up a spark of anger. I had a number of reasons to wish him an eternity enduring a painful burning sensation that no ointment could relieve. However, under Kane's heated gaze, none of those reasons felt it necessary to make an appearance.

The third, unnamed man nudged Shane. "Introduce me."

"Yes, buttercup," said Shane. "Chris, Jeff, this is Dwayne. He is mine and I am his. Despite my better judgment and my father's threats to disown me on multiple occasions."

Dwayne did not extend a hand. He simply stood behind Shane – his front pressed against the man's back, one arm wrapped around Shane's waist – and grinned. It was wide and bright and so full of ego I began to pity Shane right on the spot. "They call me Rocky," gloated Dwayne. "Ask me why."

I glanced at Jeff, who was too busy have eye-sex with Mark to notice me.

"Please ask him," sighed Shane. "Or we'll be here til moonrise."

I bit. "Why do they call you Rocky?"

Grinning non-stop, he replied, "Because I got balls the size of boulders!"

I didn't have to go to the trouble of laughing. Dwayne did it for me.

Shane rubbed his forehead, an action I imagined him doing often when his dear Rocky was around. "You know, I keep telling myself it's not about the sex. Which is phenomenal, by the way. He's also smart and funny and kind to small animals when he's in his right mind. But there are days when I want to wire his mouth shut."

"You know you love my mouth, Simba," Dwayne whispered into his ear. He pressed himself suggestively against Shane. "Just this morning you were begging to have it all over you." He actually nipped Shane's earlobe. Right in front of us.

Mark paused in the mental undressing of my best friend and clapped his hands over his eyes. "Somebody kill me now. A clean shot between the eyes."

A new stranger entered the mix. His dark blond hair hung at his shoulders. A grimace adorned an otherwise handsome face. "I got a dozen restless Weres downstairs and you people are holding up the party. Let's get this show on the road before one of them starts marking the territory."

"It's all fun and games," mumbled Shane, "until a person gets peed on. Okay, Hunter. You round em up and lead em out. We'll be there shortly."


	10. NINE

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**NINE**

"Wear this." Kane took off his shirt and handed it to me.

I had a snappy retort all planned out. I was going to inform him, voice dripping with disdain, that, despite the previous afternoon's athletic activities, we had not yet reached the point in our relationship to exchange clothing. Not that he could wear anything I owned.

All that and more sat on the tip of my tongue. My plan fell all to pieces the moment his bare chest came into view.

As I may have mentioned, I was not easy. It took more than a hard body to pique my interest. At times, not much more. Adam, for instance, knew how to talk a good game. Good enough to make me forget what a heel he could be.

Eyeing Kane's muscles, I recalled the ease with which he had lifted me while in bed. It somewhat shamed me to admit the lengths my imagination ran. Some scenarios defied the laws of physics.

"Chris?" Are you okay?"

The man made Michelangelo's David look like a stick figure and he was flaunting his near-nakedness in my face. He was lucky I didn't have drool running out my ears.

Gently gripping my chin, Kane craned my head up. His vivid blue eyes unnerved me. I could feel myself being drawn closer. He leaned forward and ever so sweetly brushed his lips across mine. Only enough for the briefest transfer of heat.

I did not moan. I most certainly did not whimper. It would have been undignified in light of the circumstances. I attempted to call upon my righteous indignation to give me strength. Instead, I envisioned finding a nice quiet corner and crawling into his lap.

"Promise me you'll stay safe." His mouth moved, yet his voice sounded in my head. "I can't live without you."

Evil, evil man. Using my wanton need for him against me.

I clung to him like a piece of driftwood in the churning sea. I felt his arms lock around my waist. My feet left the floor.

The warmth of his bare skin spread across the thin barrier of my shirt. I wanted it off. There was a strict No Clothing policy when it came to Kane. Especially when Kane came in me.

"That's enough, Kane." I don't know where Mark came from, but I had a few ideas as to where he could go.

"Five more minutes," murmured Kane against my mouth.

The plans I had in mind required a much larger timeframe.

"No can do, baby brother." He had to physically separate us. "You're too close to the change. Five minutes turn into ten, then twenty, and before you know it, you'll be violating the laws of nature."

Kane appeared none too pleased by his brother's intervention. "Laws of nature, my ass! How many times have Randy and John been caught in compromising positions? Randy does everything but hump the boy's leg!"

"Despite that disturbing image, which no amount of grain alcohol can ever erase, it's nearly time. You'll see Chris in the morning." Mark gave me a passing glance. "Assuming he doesn't run off like a sissy before then."

I had never been quick to judge others. However, I was willing to make an exception with Mark. "On a scale of one to ten – ten being very and one being not much – how attached are you to your kneecaps?"

Kane interceded on what would be the first of many hostile interactions between his brother and me. "I'll be out in a minute. I promise."

If Mark had any choice words or phrases for me, he kept them to himself. Thrusting a finger at Kane, he growled, "Sixty seconds." He stomped down the hallway, never looking back.

Kane watched him walk away. "You know how they say you can pick your friends, but not your family?"

"Yeah." I switched into his shirt.

"I get the feeling Mark is gonna be in that second category for you." He kissed me all too briefly. "My sixty seconds are nearly up. I'll see you in a few minutes and, hopefully, in the morning."

Kane was off in the direction his brother had taken before I could seduce… _gather_ further information from him.

Standing alone in a strange house too far off the beaten path to be located easily by anyone outside this bizarre group, I began to ponder these peculiar turn of events.

"The first night is the worst." As far as I knew, Shane had appeared out of thin air. He clapped a friendly hand on my shoulder. "Actually, the first two nights are the worst. You spend the first night in a near constant state of denial and the second convincing yourself that you can handle this relationship. It gets a bit easier the next month. After a year, it feels damn near normal."

I didn't know how much patience I was expected to have. Given the past twenty-four hours, that particular well had run dry. "Riddle me this, Shane McMahon. What has two fists and a rapidly shrinking fuse?" I didn't wait for his response. "Me. Now, I've already reconciled myself with the fact that Kane and I go together like peanut butter and jelly. Probably better. But all this secrecy and squirrelly behavior does not agree with me. Either I get some straight answers or I start swinging for the fences."

In the absence of my sex god lover, my anger flared anew. Because things were starting to add up. And, like pistachio ice cream, I didn't like it. My brain operated with crystal clarity. A mysterious house inhabited by secretive, mysterious strangers who were all too happy to have Jeff and me over for dinner. This was no Girl Scouts jamboree.

Where had Jeff gone? I should not have allowed us to be separated. They had probably strapped him down to a chair in their brainwash chamber while my hands were busy exploring the wondrous landscape of Kane's bare chest.

Hell-bent on proving me wrong, Jeff casually strode around the corner. "There you are," he said, slapping me on the back. "I thought I heard you threatening somebody."

I noticed he wore a different top than he had arrived in. "You have a wardrobe malfunction, Jeffrey?"

"Gentlemen!" Shane loudly clapped his hands to gain our attention. "The hour is nearly upon us. The sun has set and the moon is glowing in the sky. Time to greet your destiny."

It was mysterious crap like that that almost made me walk out. Which would not have been my safest option. Not in the deepening darkness, trying to find my way down a dirt path with only the light of the full moon to guide me.

Our combined glares must have been enough to convince Shane to cut the theatrics. Nervously clearing his throat, Shane instructed, "Follow me out to the back. And when we get outside, no sudden movements. Remain calm at all times and please, please, _please_ do not ever refer to them as 'good boys'. They really hate that."

Follow him we did. We had no choice.

I hated to admit to myself that I was more excited than frightened. Like those mad men who wrestled alligators or hunted for swamp monsters. Except I did not have the remote safety of watching events unfold across my television screen. I stood in the thick of things and a small, deranged part of me found it exhilarating.

Refreshingly cool night air blew across my face. Others stood on the back porch.

"What's the big…" Jeff's words trailed into nothing.

I stared out across the wide open space beyond the porch. For one brief, startling second, I thought my heart had stopped beating. Being surrounded on all sides by a pack of wolves was most definitely grounds for a heart attack. Especially since a flimsy wooden railing was all that stood between us and them.

My brain sent a frantic message to my bladder to hold steady. If events turned south, I did not want my remains to be discovered clad in soiled underwear. That, of course, was assuming they would be found at all.

Shane pushed Jeff and me towards the steps leading down into the grass. "We only have an eight minute window and its closing fast."

"Window for what?" asked Jeff. I was still too stunned to speak.

"Safe interaction," he said. "The change just took place, so their animal brain hasn't taken control yet. They can still remember our particular place in their food chain. Along with car payments, and movies, and soy chai lattes. All that wonderful human stuff."

The remainder of the people, including Shane, left the porch. I watched them roam fearlessly among the wild wolves.

Shane knelt in front of a large black beast. He gently stroked its furry head. "Be careful, Rocky. No starting fights unless you can finish them. I don't know why I bother telling you this. When was the last time you listened to me?" The wolf swiped a pink tongue across Shane's lips. Laughing, Shane kissed the top of its head. "I know. I love you, too. Just try not to be a major pain in the ass."

With nothing left to say, Shane stood. Man and wolf shared a single long, lingering look before the animal turned and loped off into the surrounding woods.

Similar exchanges were being made all around me. I spied Jeff off to one side, running his fingers through the thick fur of a dark brown wolf. From the grin on his face, I surmised that he had come to grips with these peculiar circumstances.

A beast with deep burgundy coloring strode up to me. I trampled over my initial instinct to back away. The wolf stopped two steps in front of me. It tilted its head to one side, silently regarding me. As if I was the strangest thing out that night.

Against all common sense, I stretched out my arm. The left arm, to be precise. In the event that this animal proved to be as dangerous as it looked, I gambled that I could get by with just the one arm. I was a righty, after all.

My fingers touched lush, warm fur and my knees nearly gave out. An almost electric shock shot up my arm. It ran riot throughout my body, partially frying my brain. A sense of peace filled me. It overwhelmed my senses until I was struggling to breathe.

A feeling of rightness settled into my bones. It was like coming home after an unbearably long journey.

I kissed the top of this magnificent animal's head. Inhaled its raw, musky scent. I knew my allotted time was trickling away. Soon, all too soon, it would give to its wild nature.

"Come home to me, Kane." There was no way to deny that man and wolf were one in the same. "I'll be waiting."

I let him go because I knew I had to. The night and the wilderness called to him. Bathed in the light of a pale, round moon, I kissed my wolf goodbye, wished him well, and watched him disappear between the trees.


	11. TEN

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**TEN**

Once the last of the wolves had retreated to answer the call, Shane ushered the remaining humans inside. "Who's hungry? I made spaghetti and meatballs." He grinned wide, reminding me somewhat of Dwayne. "It's Rocky's favorite."

I pulled Jeff aside as the rest of them filed into what I assumed to be the dining room. His hazel eyes were incredibly wide and a dopey smile was plastered on his face. This was a long trip down the rabbit hole for us. If I had to be the voice of reason, we were screwed.

"Let's assumed for the time being that we have not, as it were, gone off the reservation. What happened out there was…" I was at a loss for an explanation that my mind would not automatically mark with a giant _REJECT_ stamp. "What the hell happened out there, Jeff?" The all-consuming bliss was quickly leaving me.

Jeff blinked twice, then said, "My apartment doesn't allow pets. You think Mark will let me move in with him?"

Doomed. We were so doomed.

"Hey, newbies!" One of the strangers from the back porch strode towards us. "You alright? Not gonna faint on us, are ya?" He extended a hand in greeting.

I stared at his hand as if it were going to grow its own head. "The thought had briefly crossed my mind."

"Crosses everybody's mind, pal." He pulled his hand away, sticking it in his jeans pocket. "I'm The Miz, not that you asked. But that's okay. You're in shock."

Jeff returned to the unfolding plot. "Miss what?" he inquired. The dude did not, in any way, shape or form, look like a lady.

The daffy man merely chuckled. "No, man. _The_ Miz." He motioned in the air with both hands, as if it were a name up on a theater marquee. "One hundred percent male, me. As my mate can attest. You'll meet Johnny some morning. Probably not tomorrow, though. You'll be too busy… You know…" All the smirking and eyebrow raising in the world could not convey his meaning. "Well, you don't know _now_," conceded The Miz, "but you will then. The morning after is a bit… intense."

After knowing the man two minutes, I wanted to punch him in the nose. "Lookee, here, Miz-information. I'm about twelve seconds from head-butting someone to death. You are the nearest someone. I just said goodbye to a wolf that, against all reason, is also the man I spent an extremely pleasant afternoon with. Innuendo is not helpful. Answers had better be forthcoming. Show a video, hand out a pamphlet. I'll take a couple of sock puppets. Just give us something."

The Miz never stopped smiling. No one should have been allowed to look that happy. Not unless they were hooked up to a permanent morphine drip. "Sit tight and I'll get Shane."

He left us standing there.

"Jeff?"

"Yeah, Chris?"

"Do you think that there's even the slightest of chances that none of this is really happening? Maybe we're still in my apartment and, any minute now, we'll wake up with the king of all hangovers."

Jeff was silent, pondering the possibility. "Did you touch the wolf?"

"Yeah?"

"And did you feel anything?"

"I think it's safe to say that I felt everything in the world that there is to feel, along with some things that really should not exist on this plane."

"Well, then" he shrugged, "there's one answer down. Infinity to go."

Shane rounded the corner. To my immense joy, he had left The Miz elsewhere. "We can choose our friends, gentlemen, but not our family. Or, more specifically, the family one is unexpectedly drawn into. Some of these people I like. The rest… I'm grateful I only have to see them once a month."

He still wore his smile like a shiny sheriff's badge, but his eyes had lost some of their cheerful luster. I sensed that the one being he wished to be with at that very moment, above all others in the universe, was currently very far away with no real recollection of him.

We trailed behind him into another room. A sitting room, with well-worn, overstuffed chairs and a couch that was comfortably lumpy. I was silently grateful that the others inhabited another part of the house. As welcoming as they might have been, they remained strangers to us. I could not speak for Jeff, but I know I was having my fill of strange for one evening.

Jeff and I took the couch; Shane sat opposite us, his feet propped up on the coffee table.

Silence reigned for unbearable minutes. Despite our near-violent insistence for answers, neither Jeff nor I wished to be the first ask the really big questions. The Fives Ws plus the great big H of How. Because that would mean acknowledging that everything that had happened, everything we had seen was real. Not some hoax. Not an alcohol-induced hallucination. Not only that, it meant facing the fact that these transformations had been going on for a long while – weeks, months, years, _decades_ – completely undetected. Right under our very noses.

It made me think of my neighbors or the people standing in line with me at the grocery store. How many of them were more or less than human?

"First of all," proclaimed Shane, "just to put your minds a bit at ease, you are never going to see them change. None of us have. I don't know if they thing it would freak us out because, really, why would they jump to that conclusion? There's nothing more natural than a man and his dog. And don't you ever tell Rocky I said that or he'll sink his teeth into my ass. The really sharp teeth."

I had to admit that I was slightly relieved when Shane revealed that it had taken him two months to admit to himself that the wolf was really his Dwayne. It meant that there was still some sanity left in the world. Faith and love were all well and good, but sometimes a man needed time to wrap his head around the crazier side of life.

"I knew it was Mark," said Jeff. "It felt like him. I don't know how to explain it. There's just… I don't know… a Markness about it."

Shane smiled in understanding. "That's what makes you his mate for life. And that is no exaggeration, guys. As far as Mark and Kane are concerned, they have retired from the dating game. So have you. You're gonna grow old and rickety together."

He continued with what I would later recall as the Rules and Regulations. Both capitalized.

"The first rule of the wolf pack is that you never talk about the wolf pack."

"Really?"

"No." Shane smiled and I actually did not have the urge to knock his teeth out. Someone had to find the humor in all this. Otherwise, we'd be drowning in gin and eyeing the straight razors. Because, seriously, werewolves. Real, honest to goodness, furry balls hanging, full moon howling werewolves. "The first rule is never walk around them with bacon in your pocket. But the secrecy thing is a big issue. You're two are lucky. Being best friends beforehand keeps you in the loop. I can't even tell my own sister."

I pointed out, "I thought your father threatened you with disinheritance. That means he doesn't know?"

Shane shook his head. "Nah, he hates Dwayne on principle alone. Doesn't think he's good enough for me or some shit like that. Plus, he's really bent outta shape about Dwayne being a _he_. Up until five years ago, I was a regular, hot-blooded, heterosexual male. Then one day I went to a baseball game with some of my college buddies and BAM! Instant connection. By the seventh inning, Rocky had me up against a bathroom stall wall with my cap shoved in my mouth and his… Well, the details really aren't important. Long story short, it looks like it's up to my sister to pass on the McMahon legacy. Although, Rocky and I might adopt someday. You never know. Kids like dogs, right? And that stays between us."

"Thanksgiving must be a blast with your folks." I couldn't resist. It was nice talking to someone who wasn't blissed out of their mind about being with their mate. I was one hundred percent sure that Shane and Dwayne had never indulged in the '_you hang up first_' lunacy. "Is there battle over the wishbone?"

I was relieved to get a knee-slapping laugh out of Shane. "Oh, Jericho… You and I are gonna get along just fine."


	12. ELEVEN

**Warning:** If you have any sort of... animal squick... I suggest you skip to the next chapter. It's not too graphic but... well... It goes places you might not be comfortable. You have been warned. Do not complain.

* * *

><p><strong>Hungry Like the Wolf<strong>

**ELEVEN**

Shane's mother proved to be more caring and compassionate than her spouse. She had helped her son fund the compound I found myself spending the night in, along with several others located across the country. It was because of their generosity that the wolves and their mates were able to spend that special time together.

Even as I settled into my room, the entire situation boggled my mind. If, twenty-four hours earlier, someone had informed me that werewolves had made that drastic leap from fantasy to reality, I would have smiled politely while concocting an exit strategy in my head. An escape route away from that obviously unstable nut job.

Ordinary people were often difficult to deal with. Throw in a healthy dose of shapeshifting DNA and I could understand all the secrecy. It wasn't like they could declare their existence on CNN. Half the human population would lock them up and slice them open to find out what made them tick. The other half would order their immediate execution based on a lethal level of not liking what they could not understand or control.

Because it was more than obvious that, as much as I found myself drawn to Kane's mysterious animal side, the wolf could not be tamed. It belonged to the wild, not in some zoo for kids to throw popcorn and peanuts at. And just let some mad scientist try to trap him for his sick experiments. Even though we human mates lacked the extraordinary strength of our wolf counterparts, there was nothing we would not do to keep them safe. I had never been the violent sort – aside from the occasional bout of road rage – but the thought of someone threatening _my_ Kane made my blood boil.

It was funny how my priorities had shifted over the course of one day.

The room resembled not so much dormitory quarters, but a single occupancy hotel room. Complete with its own bathroom. I guessed they weren't too keen on sharing toilets. Sadly, the image of Dwayne lifting his leg to take a leak drifted across my mind.

I had not been expecting to spend the night away from the cabin. Having no other clothing options, I was resorted to sleeping in my underwear. I left the window open, letting the cool night air flow into the room. The outside world was alive with the sounds of nature. The hooting of an owl. The gentle screeching of crickets somewhere out in the dense surrounding woods. It was incredibly peaceful.

As I settled into bed, I imagined I heard the low keening howl of a wolf.

Kane was somewhere out there. A version of him that I could never hope to fully know. According to Shane, we wore articles of their clothing to mark us as part of their territory. It was their way of protecting us from other predators. I shuddered to imagine a creature more lethal than Kane prowling through the dark woods.

I slipped his shirt back on, needing to keep a piece of him near me. Close to my skin. It had been a long time since I had utilized a security blanket. I supposed that his shirt qualified as a more socially acceptable form of one.

Even as I lay there, drifting closer and closer to unconsciousness, my thoughts turned to Kane. For someone I had known for a considerably short period of time, he occupied a large part of my mind. Those deep blue eyes that seemed to see more than they should. Beneath the everyday façade, shooting straight through to my soul. It went so beyond the mere act of mentally undressing me. There were parts of myself that I hid from everyone. Including Jeff. Not out of shame or fear of being misunderstood. It felt good not letting a person ever really get to know me. To keep a piece just for myself.

I realized that I had given everything to Kane. All of me. And I didn't feel like less of a person after doing it. There was a difference, I discovered, between someone owning me, in essence taking away my free will, and giving of myself freely and completely to that person. I had stripped down naked before him, declaring "This is me, take it or leave it," and Kane had taken it.

My mind flashed back to the moment earlier in that evening. Before Kane had displayed himself to be a different breed of man. When he had literally swept me off my feet and into his arms. That move had always seemed so cheesy, so artificial in the movies. Especially with a swelling orchestra in the background. With Kane, as always, it was different. It was a natural response. One I had welcomed by wrapping my legs around his waist.

The strength of that man was staggering. It came so naturally. No hours spent slamming weights in a gym. No powders or protein shakes. Of course, the exercise helped. Running wild for hours, constantly on alert, never tiring. One hell of a cardiovascular workout.

Even while on two human legs, Kane moved with unearthly grace. Every action seemingly choreographed down to the slightest detail. The roll of his shoulders as he drew me to his chest. The subtle shift of his hips, sending me a reminder that the attraction was not one-sided.

He had no reason to trust that I would come here. That I would find my way back to him. I had withdrawn from him, believing that the passion we'd shared had not been rare and unique a thing after all. Even after all that, he had welcomed me with open arms.

More than welcomed. Kane had downright lusted. And I had been right there with him. A hot, needy mess, desperate to get my hands on him. As well as any other body parts that wished to join the party.

Lying in the dark, listening to the wind ruffling the leaves of the trees, I could still feel the warmth of Kane's skin on my hands. My palms tingled at the memory of his fur bristling across them. Soft, yet surprisingly thick. A warm, protective shield against nature and the elements. I got the feeling he enjoyed my cautious, curious touch. If time had allowed, I would have sunk my fingers deep into that dense coat. Maybe even nuzzled his neck if he had let me. Anything to bring more of him into contact with my skin.

I didn't realize I had unbuttoned the shirt until the cool air ghosted across my nipples. They hardened in immediate response. Not the only part of my body to perk up, seeking my attention. My stiff cock bulged against the fabric of my shorts. I could not believe I was reacting to the memory of my wolf. If I had been thinking about the human Kane and become aroused… Well, that was as natural a response as breathing. My mind warned that there was nothing remotely erotic about a wild animal.

Which was, of course, only a half-truth.

In my years on this Earth, I had been an avid viewer of both _National Geographic_ as well as _The Animal Planet_. I even got misty-eyed during _The Lion King_. I had not, however, gotten wood while watching a cheetah take down its prey. I liked to believe that I was simply not that kind of pervert.

This was Kane I'd been thinking about. A non-human version, yes, but the connection and attraction remained constant. He was the same untamed soul, always on the brink of losing control whenever I was around. As my palm gently pressed into my ever hardening length, I held undeniable proof that, regardless of the incarnation, my desire never diminished.

I brought the cloth of his shirt up to my nose and breathed deep. Kane's unique scent overwhelmed my senses. Dark and rich, hinting at the animal within. The wolf straining to be released from its human bonds. No man should have been allowed to smell that luscious. It was hazardous to public health and safety. If it had been bottled and sold, people would have been too busy getting off to pay their taxes. If that was not a good enough excuse for an IRS deadline extension, I was hard-pressed to find a better one.

Hurriedly, I shoved down my boxers, kicking them off the bed. Free of the covers, I let my naked body bask in the refreshing breeze blowing through the open window. Tiny goose bumps peppered my flesh. My skin flushed hotly, yet I shivered. It was not the cold that had me trembling in the dark of this unfamiliar room. Rather, it was the desire of something so alien to me. A need that would have repulsed me days earlier left me hard and aching.

I wanted my wolf. The physical beast. Fur and teeth and claws. All the parts that were not remotely human, yet they housed the spirit of the man I cherished so deeply.

Drawing a shaky breath, I lightly grasped my cock. My fingers skirted across blood-engorged flesh and I lost contact with reality.

I was no longer in this strange house, surrounded by even stranger people. Blades of grass tickled my skin, serving as a pillow for my head as I lay spread across the ground. I could feel it prickling between the seam of my ass. It caressed my sac like the fingers of my lover, sending shivers up my spine.

Above my head, peeking through a break in the canopy of trees, the full moon shone in all its supernatural glory. Brilliant stars twinkled all around it. Truly like diamonds set against the velvet midnight sky.

The creatures of the night had gone silent. Only the occasional flutter of the leaves high above me did I hear. It was if the world held its breath.

Waiting.

It did not have to wait long.

He oozed effortlessly out of the darkness. My wolf. Melding from shadow into substance in the blink of an eye. The grass swished gently as he padded over to me. I turned my head towards him to watch his progress. I remained unafraid because the wolf was Kane and Kane knew me. Knew why I had joined him in the wilderness.

I continued to slowly stroke myself, matching the rhythm of his stride. My eyes attempted to ease shut as wave after wave of bliss washed over me. I forced them open, not wishing to miss a single glimpse of the animal that held my heart. Kane rewarded me by pressing his muzzle against my forehead. His breath nearly roasted my skin and yet… I could not turn away. I took in every exhalation, giving as much as I got.

I craved further contacted. An even greater connection with my wolf. I did as I had wished earlier. I nuzzled his neck, forcing his scent into my nostrils, deeper into my brain. A part of me railed against what I was doing and all that I wanted to do. It harkened back to Mark's earlier offhand comment about going against the laws of nature. There were rules, governing bodies that must be obeyed. To cross that boundary would be monstrous.

Shuddering under the weight of my decision, I pushed away those traitorous thoughts. Because – _please god, forgive me_ – this was something utterly different. There was a man's mind in that animal body. A mind with memories of me. Kissing me with a human mouth. Holding me in muscular human arms. And though it might damn me to the fieriest pit in Hell, I could not help but drag through my mind the intense, soul-searing sex. The hands on my hips and the cock in my ass, just pounding me, pounding me, fucking me until I couldn't see straight.

That was all that mattered. My Kane, with me always. If that made me a monster, I would wear the title with honor.

The wolf's tongue – _Kane's_ tongue – flicked my nipple, driving a jolt straight to my groin. It was no innocent mistake. Not the mere taking of an opportunity to taste me. Kane was being deliberate. That tongue flicked again, removing all doubt. He purposefully teased me. My Kane was smarter than the average wolf. He knew exactly which buttons to push and how hard to press them

I drew myself up into a sitting position, throwing an arm over his broad back. The more body to body contact I achieved, the better. I laid my head against his neck. The heat of his body spread through the layers of fur and across my cheek. The smell of him… I would never get enough! Not if I lived for a hundred years could I go a single day without that scent in my head. My craving was like a living thing. A tightly coiled snake squirming in my belly, seeking satisfaction.

Drifting in my haze of want – _always want with Kane, a never-ending cycle of need need need _– I did not notice his head dip lower. Not until a hot, wet, rough _thing_ slurped across the leaking head of my dick. Nearly shooting me out of my skin. I clutched Kane's body tighter as what I knew to be his tongue continued to lavish my throbbing length. My hand moved frantically, pumping up and down my shaft, as he lazily licked at me. Taking his sweet time tasting me as I bucked and shuddered beneath him.

In my mind's eye, I saw Kane's smile – his human grin – spreading across his face. Obviously enjoying watching me writhe uncontrollably as he delivered this unexpected pleasure. Each humid breath washing across me, every unmerciful lap dragging me closer and closer to release.

"Please, Kane!" My groans were muffled against his side. My hips moved on their own, fucking my fist. Wanting, but not daring, to inch closer into that inferno of a mouth. "Please make me come," I panted, not missing a stroke as I rubbed the wolf-spit into my tender skin. "I want it… I want to come for you…"

One long, slithering swipe down the length of my cock was all it took to undo me. Fur filled my mouth as I screamed into his side. Wordless cries ripped from my chest as I came. I shot my load, uncaring where it landed. The thought of my wolf hungrily lapping up my spunk had me shivering in the grass. I flopped back, spent. Unwilling and unable to move a muscle.

Reality settled uncomfortably around my shoulders. I opened my eyes not to the sky but to a tiled ceiling. An ordinary, down-filled pillow cushioned my head. The breeze confirmed that I was still, with the exception of Kane's shirt, naked. My hands coasted down my bare chest. I felt my heart knocking against my ribs, so I knew that my visit to Heaven had been a brief one. My fingers tracked through tacky ribbons of drying come. Further confirmation that, while the experience may have only occurred in my mind, the after effects were very, very real.

My mind slowly spun down to a restful state. I briefly considered getting up to clean myself off in the bathroom, but could not recall how my legs worked. Instead, I allowed myself to bask in the shimmering afterglow of a spectacular orgasm. I would sleep restfully, despite my unfamiliar surroundings, and wait for my Kane to return to me.


	13. TWELVE

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**TWELVE**

Rule number one when dealing with a werewolf the morning after: Always sleep naked.

Rule number two: Never sleep on your stomach.

Truth be told, I never heard the door open. Therefore, I never stood a chance.

Shane had mentioned, hours earlier, that there was a small window after the change where the wolves recalled their human lives. Remembered us, their mates, which was why we were able to freely walk among them.

The same, I would soon learn, held true once the sun rose the day after. The shifters regained their two-legged forms, yet a spark from the animal mind remained. Which was how they were able to navigate corridors and doorknobs but were not much for conversation.

The whole event – transforming, running wild, transforming again – took its toll. The human part craved rest. A chance to recharge. The animal spark, however, had other plans in mind. Especially if there was a mate to be had.

All the wolf wanted, according to Kane, was to hunt and rut. Hunting it got plenty of out in the wilderness. I had the sinking feeling that he had claimed a number of Thumpers in his time. As far as rutting went, werewolves did not mate with each other. Kept the inbreeding to a minimum. Even though the wolf could not recall, say, the function of a motor vehicle, it knew there was a hot piece of ass waiting for him. Those unlucky enough not to have a mate tended to be more aggressive the morning after. The kind of aggression that led to raised voices and holes being punched in walls.

The wolf wanted what the wolf wanted.

After that first morning, I learned to leave a bottle of lube on the bedside table. Because if I couldn't stop him, I would at least ease the way. I also began setting an alarm to go off close to dawn. One rude awakening had been enough for me.

He was stealthy, my Kane. Slipping silently into the room. Easing the door shut. Even engaged the lock. There would be no one disturbing us.

The wolf had run naked. It was the only way to run in the wild. Whatever magic that fueled the transformation could not zap the clothes back onto his newly human body. So Kane arrived in my room as naked as the day he was born.

I cannot begin to imagine how I must have looked to him. Perhaps like a Thanksgiving turkey, trussed up, basted, and packed with homemade stuffing. If I aroused him so deeply while he had been in his right mind, then the wolf…

The wolf always got what it wanted.

Always.

My first inklings that I was not alone came in the form of a single finger sliding into my ass. It eased in and out, almost effortlessly. My muscles remained just tight enough to require an additional digit.

It felt like a dream. A beautiful, wonderful dream. The breeze flowing through my window gently warmed my skin. Peeking through my eyelashes, I found that the rising sun had painted the room orange and gold. It had a hazy, fuzzy around the edges feel that I could only acquaint with the landscape of my unconscious mind.

It was not like I hadn't already had a kind of sex dream. This was merely a continuation. Those thick fingers scissored slowly, stretching me open in a most glorious fashion. I groaned into my pillow, eyes sliding shut as I simply let it happen.

I knew it was Kane. Knew it as well as I knew my own name. He was the primary focus of both my waking and dream worlds. I could think of no other person who would so lovingly prepare me. It was a wonder, really, that I could think at all.

In the end, Kane used three fingers. He took his time because he knew he must. He did not wish to risk hurting me.

I felt absolutely no pain.

The fingers withdrew and I momentarily drifted. Still basking in the pleasant memories of having him within me. My muscles twitched in anticipation. Kane would not leave me hard and aching.

Grasping my hips, he nudged my opening with the head of his cock. It was almost too hot to be real.

One hard thrust drove him deep into my ass. I went from completely empty to breathtakingly full in the span of a heartbeat. It was the shock of Kane, fully sheathed and throbbing, that ripped me into alert consciousness. It was too rough to be a dream, the intensity too sharp. His grip around my waist tightened. Fingers pressed into my hips, nearly hard enough to snap bone.

I gasped a single "_What?_" before being drawn partially up onto my knees. My upper half remained slumped on the mattress. I struggled to gather my wits, to make sense of the situation. Then Kane withdrew – _slowly, always achingly slow, why?_ – only to slam home. Burying himself right to the root.

I lost all contact with stable, rational thought after that. I could not so much as put together a simple sentence, let alone mount a protest. Seeing no sense in fighting, I simply clutched my pillow tight and struggled to keep my heart from exploding in my chest.

Because it was not just that he was fucking me. I had taken it hard and fast from behind a number of times. It was the way he fucked me that had me gasping and moaning like a porn star.

It was hard, oh yes. Kane's thighs slapped against my ass, creating a sound heard only during a major fuckfest. The kind that kept the neighbors awake at night. If you walked past a bedroom and heard _that_ sound, you would know – you'd fucking _know_ –what was going on in there.

Kane found no satisfaction in fucking me fast. No. He preferred long, slow, deep strokes. Forcing me to feel every inch, every fucking _centimeter_ of his cock as it stretched and filled me. Once fully inside, he would grind his hips into my ass. Each thrust punctuated with a swivel that had me clawing at the bed sheets.

I ventured a glance backwards, over my shoulder, and nearly came. The look in Kane's eyes alone was orgasm inducing. He wasn't staring sightlessly straight ahead, mind focused solely on getting himself off. Kane was a special snowflake whose uniqueness sprang from the fact that he enjoyed watching himself fuck me. Those brilliant blue eyes were locked on my ass, which I had thrust in the air like a common slut. His pupils were impossibly wide as they tracked every thrust. Not only did he enjoy the squeeze of my muscles around his dick, he absolutely loved seeing it disappear into me.

_In, _grind,_ out. In, _grind, _out._ Not so much as a breath in between. He kept going and going, with no sense of slowing. Like he had time and stamina to spare. There was no matter more pressing in his mind than fucking me out of mine.

I spread my legs wider like the cockwhore that I was. Propped my ass higher. I gave in and gave myself over to him. I found no shame in our debauchery because I knew I was his one and only. Kane's mate for life.

"_Mine_," growled Kane, using a voice that was never meant for spoken words. It was too primal for human language. Too gruff and raw for daylight hours. It shot lightning up my spine, making me clench tighter around him. "_My mate… Mine…_"

As if there had ever been a doubt.

What little connection there remained between my brain and my mouth circumvented higher mental functions. If not for breathing being automatic, I would have suffocated. The only thoughts getting through were of how much I needed, wanted, had to have more of Kane.

"_Yes…Yours… All yours, fucking take it, all of it, for you, Kane…_" The words became rushed as the familiar tingle settled into the pit of my stomach. They tumbled freely from my mouth, no longer caring how desperate I sounded. I was desperate, but not only for myself. I needed – _need, need, always need, all the fucking time!_ – Kane to come. To ride the shockwave of his climax. "_All for you, I'm yours, keep me, take me, fuck me, please, Kane, please!_"

Hands fisting the sheets so tight I could barely feel them, I quivered around his cock. Clenching hard and tight until I emptied my balls into the sheets. Kane continued to fuck me through it all, not stopping even after I was spent.

He picked up his pace. The grind nearly imperceptible between the frenzied in and out motion.

I cheered him on. I was delirious for him to come inside me. "_That's it Kane, come on, give it to me, you know you want it, you know I need it._" I spread my ass cheeks wider, reveling in my wantonness. Kane was not the only one giving into their base desires. "_Yes, Kane, please, Kane, I want it want it want it!_"

Kane could not deny me. Not with me squeezing around him as if my life depended on it. That beautiful cock twitched once, twice, then unleashed his spunk. Growling deep in his throat, he pumped me full of hot, sticky come. My own half-soft dick jerked in response to each thick jet.

Fully sated, Kane withdrew. My much deserved reward oozed out of my hole and slithered down my thighs.

I was thoroughly fucked and utterly satisfied. Without his hands to hold me up, I collapsed fully onto the bed. Thick arms encircled my waist. They gathered me to Kane's chest. He gazed at me with heavy-lidded eyes.

"Mine," he whispered. Softer, gentler that time around.

I could only nod as I set my face into the available crook of his shoulder and let the waking world fade away.


	14. THIRTEEN

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**THIRTEEN**

There was so much to learn, so much to understand. About Kane. About his life. About myself, surprisingly. That was the one person I would have swore I knew from head to toe.

An interesting tidbit about Kane: He's a toucher. Nibbling. Cuddling. Any form of physical contact was welcome. Especially if I was involved.

The gentle pinch of my skin between his teeth eased me from my slumber. It was better than a freshly brewed pot of coffee. The best part of waking up was a sex god in your bed, nipping at your shoulder like it was the best stuff on Earth.

"Mornin', honey." Those two words vibrated across skin and bones.

I opened my eyes to the golden glow of the morning sun. I had no clue what time it was and could not muster up the effort to care. "Damn fine morning," I declared, voice still thick with sleep.

Kane had drawn back the collar of the shirt he had gifted me in order to get at my flesh. Each short nip was quickly soothed with a swipe of his tongue. Every inch of him pressed against me. The ambient heat of his naked body coupled with his slow devouring of me created stirrings and yearnings within me that I did not have the strength to encourage. The spirit was willing, but the body was very, very weak.

The hand drifting down my stomach did not help matters.

I struggled to change the direction of our encounter. "I like wearing your clothes." There was no way to conceal my breathy gasps. Even though I could barely muster morning wood, Kane had a drastic effect on my weak body. He tugged at the _need want_ chain in my brain. I could not survive another bout of lovemaking so soon, but some traitorous parts of me were willing to try.

"Do you really?"

I felt his lips curve into a smile as his thumb teased the head of my cock. Barely rubbing at the sensitive skin. Not enough pressure to make me hard, but much too much to ignore.

"Mmm… Yeah… I…" When had thinking become so difficult? It was something that I did everyday. At that moment, with Kane plucking at my desire like a finely tuned harp string, I couldn't even remember my address. My train of thought had not simply derailed; it had burst into flames.

Fingers twisting in his hair, I tried again. "I like…"

My brain went haywire as he slipped a finger into my ass. Sore, aching muscles throbbed in protest. Failing at words, I could only groan and whimper. Kane touching me was fantastic. It was also too much of a good thing.

Kane drew himself away from the feast of my flesh. His smile was sinful and wicked and so damn beautiful, I could hardly stand it. "You're still slick inside, Chris." He thrust his fingers lewdly. His eyes burned into mine, pupils growing wide. "That's my come, isn't it? That's my come making you slippery."

If I had the vocabulary, I would have begged for mercy. As far as my ears could tell, all that came out of my mouth were the sighs of a lost soul. I was trapped in that Twilight Zone between pain and pleasure.

His eyes traveled down my body. He did not bother concealing his lust. There was no point, really. It was as constant as the pounding of my heart.

Without warning, his fingers stilled and were yanked from my body. Kane's face had changed. His mask of desire had cracked down the middle and shattered. In its place was horror. "Dear god, what have I done?"

This did not compute. Kane had been seducing me. Nearly killing me in the process, yes, but what a wonderful way to go. I should have been grateful that he was no longer touching me, but that was nothing to celebrate. "You haven't done anything." My first instinct was to console him. To reach out for his hand and bring it back to my body.

"I hurt you," he whispered, voice breaking. "How could I do that?" He backed away, crawling to the far side of the bed.

Now, I was terrified. Confused and terrified. "You didn't," I swore. I continued to reach for him, even as he edged out of my grasp. "I'm fine, Kane. Please, come here."

He would hear none of it. And the look on his face… Shame and guilt mixed with fear. It did not belong. It had no business existing in our world. "What kind of monster am I? How could I do that to you?"

"You're not!" He was out of my reach. I could not understand what he was seeing. What horror was unfolding before his eyes? "You're not! You're the best there is. Maybe better than I deserve." Desperation gripped my chest. I could barely breathe. What was happening? Why? Why wouldn't he touch me? "I love you, Kane."

That was the wrong thing to say.

His eyes grew wide and wild. "How can you say that?" He had left the bed and was backing towards the door. "Look at what I did to you!" Kane dropped to his knees, hands tearing at his hair.

I had woken to a nightmare. None of it made sense. I was fine. A little sore, yes, but it was the best kind of soreness. I scrambled off the bed to kneel in front of him. "I'm fine," I repeated, not sure if anything I was saying was getting through to him. "You haven't done anything to me that I didn't ask for. Don't you remember how I begged for you?" I did. Vividly.

Kane shook his head. "I should never have asked you to come here. I should have made you stay away."

"Stop this!" I didn't mean to scream, but couldn't help myself. I was two very short steps away from hysteria. Because it sounded like Kane didn't want me anymore. "You did nothing wrong!"

Laughing harshly, he glared at me. "Look in the mirror before you sing my praises. Maybe then you'll understand the kind of monster I am."

It amazed me the crystal clarity with which my mind recalled the presence of a mirror on the inside of the closet door. I left Kane only because I had to. Once I saw whatever it was he was imagining, I could help him get over it. Help him get back to the way we were.

I threw open the door and stood before the full length mirror. "_Shit…_"

Bruises. A violent, malicious shade of purple marred my skin. The contusions circled my waist in a sickening band. I pressed a finger below my belly button, not truly believing my eyes. I expected to receive a sharp pain at the prodding. Instead, it was dull and far removed. As if they belonged on another body.

Kane had done that to me. A few hours ago, after becoming human again. I remembered those large hands gripping me tight, but they hadn't hurt. Nothing hurt. All I knew was pleasure. I had enjoyed every moment of our mating. I had not expected the aftermath to be this brutal.

It all weighed heavily on Kane's mind. Broke his spirit. He blamed himself. I couldn't let him do that.

"This is not your fault." I turned away from the mirror, no longer caring what it showed me. I knew the truth. "Stuff like this happens all the time."

There was that bitter chuckle again. It tore at my heart. "Oh, really? Name the last person that did that to you." He did not wait for my response. "Name the last person that took you against your will. That forced himself on you. That fucking _violated_ _you while you slept_!"

"You didn't!" He was twisting it in his mind so that he came out looking like the villain. "It wasn't like that and you know it!"

Kane stood and I quickly recalled how imposing he could truly be. Hands curled into fists, he took a step towards me. "I did it, Chris. I snuck in here and I found you and I _wanted_ you. Wanted you so bad that I could think of nothing else. So I took you. Because that's what I wanted. I didn't ask your permission. I didn't care about consent. You were _mine_, Chris. You belonged to me and I fucking took you!"

"That's not how it was!" I didn't give a damn who heard me. They could all bust down the door. My world was falling to pieces. "I wanted you!"

Stalking over to the dresser, Kane yanked open a drawer. He pulled out a pair of jeans. Dragging them up his long legs, he spat, "What choice did you have? You couldn't have stopped me. I'm bigger, stronger. Being freaks gives us the advantage. There's no balance in this relationship. No fairness. I can just take whatever I want. And I'll do it again, Chris. That's the worst part. Because I enjoyed it. I liked the power I had over you. You were mine, Chris, and I would have you whether you wanted it or not. Maybe you're too kind to see the monster in me, but I refuse to let it hurt you again."

Kane stormed out the room, slamming the door so hard the hinges shook. I could only stand there, wearing nothing but his borrowed shirt and wondering. How could my heart keep beating after being ripped out of my chest?


	15. FOURTEEN

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**FOURTEEN**

Contrary to what popular home remedy would have you believe, taking a long, hot soak in the tub does not ease your mind. All I got out of it was pruny hands.

Kane had left me. That fact circled my brain, unrelenting. He had left me and he wasn't coming back. Chris Jericho did not sulk. Adam had walked out of my life for good and did I curl up in a ball and die? Hell no! I dusted off my shoulders, grabbed my best friend and a full cooler, and… fell in love with a werewolf.

"Fuck."

Losing Adam hadn't felt like this. Maybe because an Adam-free life was as close to winning as I got. He was a tool and a jerk and, yeah, it had hurt like hell when he left because no one enjoyed being rejected. Especially by a tool and a jerk. I didn't miss Adam. Didn't pine for him. Mostly because I didn't know the meaning of the word. But I did now.

There was a part of me missing. An important part. A vital piece had been cut out of me and the skin sewn seamlessly together again. But I still knew it was gone.

Along with not sulking, Chris Jericho never gave up. Not when there was something worth fighting for. Kane was wrong. He had no monster within him. I loved the wolf as I loved him. Graceful. Powerful. Unbreakable. Kane was substance and strength. I would show him how much he truly deserved to be loved.

Only the question of how remained. I needed to convince him that I wanted him. I was a willing participant. He hadn't forced anything on me. I made a choice.

I made a choice…

_I made a choice!_

Grinning from ear to ear, I slid fully beneath the water. Poor bastard. There was no getting rid of me. He couldn't walk away. The choice had been mine to make.

Two hands gripped me tight and jerked me out of the water. "You fucking asshole, don't you dare!"

Blinded by the water streaming down my face, I knew that voice belonged to Jeff. I could only sputter and croak as his hands pounded on my back.

"He's not worth it!" Jeff shouted. He continued to pound my back with his fists in an effort to expel water that had never entered my lungs. "He is not worth your _life_!"

I was halfway out of the tub before I could get his clammy mitts off of me. "Jeffrey Nero Hardy! I am _not_ committing suicide! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Seeing that I was no longer a threat to myself, Jeff graciously handed me a towel. "I saw Kane," he said, by way of an explanation. "Mark and I were on our way to breakfast and you weren't with him. From the look on his face, I figured the two of you had had a bit of a lover's quarrel." He folded his arms across his chest. "I had hoped to raise your spirits and I find you lying at the bottom of a tub of water. Pardon me for jumping to the wrong conclusion."

That's what best friends were for. Nursing you through bad breakups and keeping you from killing yourself.

I toweled dry, not worrying about modesty in front of Jeff. "I guess it's good to know you'll always have my back."

"Always." He put the lid down on the toilet and sat. "So go ahead. Spill your guts. What happened?"

Explaining my situation required me to ask a very delicate question. "This morning… You and Mark…" The words turned my empty stomach sour. That my best friend could be mated to such a massive pain in the ass was nearly intolerable. "Did you and Mark have… a rough encounter this morning?"

The smirk on his face almost made me rethink abandoning my watery grave. "If you're asking if he shagged me rotten, then yes. Damn near broke the bed."

So many horrible, horrible images!

I exited the bathroom, keeping my mind focused on finding clothes. Jeff, being my wingman, followed me. "After you were done, how did Mark feel about it?" I located my jeans from the day before, but went without underwear.

"Mark doesn't really talk about his feelings."

Somehow, I was not surprised. Fishing my socks out of my shoes, I slipped them on. "I mean, he didn't feel bad about what he did?" I searched the room for a shirt. My eyes landed on the one Kane had given me the evening before. It seemed appropriate to put it on. My armor as I marched into battle.

"Mark rarely feels bad about anything. Besides, we both had a headboard-thumpin' good time. Nothing to feel bad about. No regrets."

Again, such tortuous images!

"Well, Kane felt awful about it. About these." I rolled my jeans down a bit, displaying my lover's handiwork.

Jeff whistled, long and low. His eyes grew wide. "I take it he took you with much enthusiasm."

"Oh, yeah. Fucked the come right out of me." And then into me. My face flushed as my internal muscles clenched, craving the thickness that had stretched them earlier. "Anyway, he took one look at my body and declared himself the most depraved human ever. Right after Caligula. He thinks he's some kind of monster when that is the furthest from the truth. My plan is to convince him how far from helpless I truly am."

Down a flight of stairs and across the main hallway and we were in the dining room. Seated around a large table laden with food were an equally large number of people. Some I had met last night, others I assumed to be the human forms of the other wolves. Shane raised a glass of orange juice in greeting. He was otherwise occupied being Dwayne's lap warmer.

A loud slap to Jeff's rear end announced Mark's arrival. "What took you so long, baby face? I was startin' to worry."

"That I got a better offer?" quipped Jeff.

Despite my knee-jerk reaction to give Mark hell for manhandling my best friend in front of a bunch of strangers, I could tell that Jeff didn't mind. If anything, he appeared to enjoy the heavy-handed attention. Watching their playful exchange opened up that pit of longing in my stomach. I had to find Kane and make things right.

"Hey!" I jabbed Mark in one of his tattooed arms. "I need to speak with your brother. Have you seen him?"

Mark regarded me with a look brimming with disdain. Like I was a squashed bug he was forced to scrape off of his windshield. "Nope. Not sure I would tell you if I had."

I didn't care how awesome Jeff thought he was. The man was treading into dangerous territory.

"He's out back!" shouted Dwayne. He grinned into the full force of Mark's glare. "He likes to chop wood when he's '_frustrated'_." The man actually used air quotation marks. "Last year, he kept the place heated all winter long."

"Where's the wood pile?" I asked. Even though he was a little goofy, it felt good to have Dwayne on my side. Especially when Mark was proving to be uncooperative.

Shane hitched a thumb over his shoulder. "Straight through there, out the back door. You can't miss him."

"Shane!" growled Mark. "This is none of your business. Butt out."

Shane refused to back down. "The hell it's not. If he and his mate have issues that need resolving, then you should be bending over backwards to help them. It's what a good brother would do."

One threatening step forward on Mark's behalf was all it took for Dwayne to leap to his feet. "You come towards my mate like that," he whispered, darkly, "and you had best be prepared to defend yourself."

I didn't know if the rest of the pack would stand behind Dwayne or back Mark. The last thing I wanted was to incite a civil war. "No one is threatening anyone or his mate." I quickly stepped in between the contesting parties. "Kane and I have a bit of personal business to put to rest. No reason to spill blood."

"Especially during breakfast," added The Miz.

Mark interceded, blocking my path out of the room. While Kane had used his size to literally sweep me off my feet, his dipshit brother strove to bully and intimidate. "You're new, so I'll go ahead and explain myself. But only once, so listen with both ears. Kane is _my_ brother. _I_ am his family. _I_ take care of him. _I_ look after his well being. You might be fun for a little slap and tickle, but I know what he needs."

I forced myself to remember how much Jeff cared for this brute. It would put a strain on our friendship if I were to kick his ass into next Friday. Therefore, I chose my words carefully. "I appreciate all you've done and I understand your place as his brother. But, as I've been told a number of times, you can't pick your family. Kane chose me and I chose him. If you don't like me, fine. I'm not here to shine rainbows out of my ass for you. I am _Kane's_ mate. Respect that. Or I swear by all that is good and holy, I will crack open your rib cage and use your lungs for bagpipes. Now move out of my way while you can still use your legs."

We stared at each other for ages. Glaring. Nearly growling. I refused to cower. At that moment, Kane needed _me_. Not his overprotective brother.

The tension in the room evaporated the second Mark stepped aside. "Do not fuck this up, Jericho. I don't know what Kane sees in you, but you obviously mean something to him. But if you break my baby brother's heart, I _will_ find you and I _will_ end you. Guaranteed."

I simply stood as he stalked away. Staring down a werewolf and coming away with one's bodily organs in their rightful places was nothing to gloat about while the werewolf was still in earshot.

"Chris! Catch!"

I turned just in time to see Jeff toss something at me. It glinted in the light. I snatched it up midair and paused to examine it. A small silver packet of lubricant sat in the palm of my hand. "What?"

Jeff smiled and shrugged. "They keep a whole bunch of them in the top drawer of the night stand. Thought you might need it." He winked at me before drawing Mark out of the room by his arm. "Go get 'im, Lionheart!"

That was not the first, and it would not be the last, time I would be grateful to have chosen Jeff for a best friend.


	16. FIFTEEN

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**FIFTEEN**

Locating Kane proved to be the least difficult of my tasks. I simply followed the steady thud of a lumberjack hard at work. The wood pile was several yards from the back door of the house. I approached with caution. The man was swinging an axe, for Heaven's sake! With much force and intensity, I might add. Kane's frustration level was most likely at an all-time high.

I kept my distance for a number of reasons. The first of which being safety. A guilt-stricken man wielding a deadly weapon with much practiced ease was not one I was willing to rush upon. Plus, if confessions must be made, I had a bit of a voyeuristic streak. Not that I went around drilling holes into men's rooms or anything.

It had felt like hours had passed since Kane had left me, hurt and alone. In truth, it was no more than a single hour. In that span of time, Kane had managed to work up a sweat. The material of his shirt clung to his skin. It stretched across his back as he brought the axe down. I watched Kane bend over to retrieve the next piece of lumber to take his frustrations out on. The way that man wore a pair of jeans should have been illegal.

"On most people, staring is creepy," said Kane, placing wood on the chopping block. "But coming from you… I can _feel_ your eyes on me, Chris."

"Is that a bad thing?" The man held an axe. I knew not to antagonize. "Because I plan on staring at you for as long as I can. Which means I'm not going away, no matter how many tantrums you throw."

Facing facts, I recognized that the non-antagonistic approach was not my strong suit. If I hoped to help Kane come to his senses, I would have to be direct.

Much to my joy, Kane rested the head of the axe against the ground. He did not, however, greet me with open arms. "What are you still doing here?"

"Oh," I said in mock surprise. "You mean that whole '_I'm a monster, you can't be near me'_ thing?" I continued to walk forward, not taking my eyes off of him for a moment. The closer I got, the stiffer he stood. "I'm sorry. Was I supposed to take that seriously?"

"Chris." An obvious warning. His fingers flexed around the axe handle. Not that I was worried he would use it against me. If rough sex wrecked his conscience, then assault of any kind was off the table. "This isn't a game. Go home. Now."

"If I don't? Then what?" That's it, Jericho. Poke the angry grizzly with that sharp stick. "You gonna spank me?"

Even though my ass was nowhere in view, I knew it was on his mind. Kane's eyes flicked down to my crotch. It was a quick, _blink and you'll miss it_ movement that I easily caught. Men's eyes didn't dally in that area unless the subject sported an impressive belt buckle or the viewer had sex on his mind. I put my money on that last one.

I stopped well within arm's length of Kane. His body drew back in an effort to put more distance between us, but his feet remained firmly planted. Kane obviously was of two minds. The one wishing to flee while the other compelling him to stay and stand his ground. The opposing sides warred within him. The strain of the battle was written on his face. The crease of his forehead. The frown lines framing his mouth. His eyes – the eyes that had first drawn me in and continued to mesmerize me – were both sad and defiant. As if waiting for me to confirm his fears and prove him right.

"I will never leave you," I vowed, placing my hand atop his on the handle. "No matter how much you bark and growl and show your teeth."

"Bark, Chris?" There was the barest hint of a smile. I would take what I could get. "You really wanna go there?"

I'd go anywhere he wanted so long as he was with me. "You go, I follow. That's the deal. No refunds or exchanges. You're stuck with me. My mate for life."

That glimmer of a grin quickly vanished. "You didn't know what you were agreeing to when you said that." He pulled his hand away, turning to leave. "You had no clue what you were getting into."

As promised, I trailed behind him. "Doesn't matter. It was my choice to make. And if I knew then what I know now, I would still make it."

We were approaching the edge of the property where the woods pressed up against this little piece of civilization. Kane's longer strides were carrying him further away from me with each step. Shoving dignity aside, I jogged up ahead of him, cutting into his path. I laid both my hands on his chest to stop him from steamrolling right over me. "I chose you, Kane."

"And look what it got you." He could not proceed forward. It was obvious I would intercede. There was only the house to go back to, which would mean facing the others. "There's no balance in this relationship."

Oh, how wrong he was. "Because you're bigger?"

"Yes."

"And stronger?"

"Yes."

"And I have absolutely no power." That was the statement he had made earlier.

Kane hung his head. "Yes." He spat the word on the ground like a piece of gum after it had lost its flavor.

"No." I hated to beat the man up when he was already so down, but I needed him to understand me. "Not to knock your superhuman abilities, Big Bad, but I've got some pretty awesome tricks up my sleeve."

Kane proved to be a non-believer. I would change that soon enough. "Name one."

A Jericho never backed down from a challenge. Never. "We've been out here together, what, ten minutes?"

"Probably," he conceded.

My trap was set and prepared to spring. Sliding my hand down to the waist of his jeans, I lowered my voice to an intimate whisper. Not that there was anyone else within earshot. I simply wished to drive home the fact that it was, as it always would be, only he and I. "In those ten minutes that I have held your undivided attention, how many impure thoughts have you had about me?"

Kane's eyes grew wide. They appeared to want to look everywhere but at my face. "Define impure."

Always being right was one of the many perks of being me. I raised the bottom of his shirt enough for me to slip my hands under it. My palms rested flat against his stomach. I felt his muscles tighten, then relax. "Impure," I repeated, flexing my fingers. "Dirty. Naughty. Indecent. Obscene. Lustful. I can go on and on, but I'm sure you get the picture." I scratched my nails up and down his belly. "So, how many has it been, Big Bad? Because I'm fairly certain those ten minutes have now stretched into twelve or thirteen, which means the count may have increased."

If the blood was heading south at the speed I imagined, math may have been beyond Kane's capabilities. He breathed harshly through his mouth. Practically panting. "Why are you calling me that?"

The man purposely avoided my question, but I would allow it. His voice was so thick and husky, he had all but growled at me. Obviously, my point was getting across. "Because you're the Big Bad Wolf come to eat me up." Acting without instruction, my fingers unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. Kane did not intervene. My guess was he was too preoccupied increasing his impure thought count. As his mate, it was my pleasure – nay, my _duty_ – to help him along. "It looked like they were having pancakes at breakfast. Do you think I'd go well with maple syrup? Not the artificial kind. I mean the good stuff. Thick and warm, pouring so slowly it feels like it'll never come. And then it does, making me all sticky and sweet. Where would you put it first, Kane? Which part of me gets the first lick?"

Kane's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, yet no sound escaped. Nothing besides the hard expulsions of his breath. His hands proved equally indecisive. First curling into fists at his side, only to unfurl uselessly again. Poor man. I was blowing all his circuits.

"You still haven't answered my question," I innocently pointed out. Incomprehensible words flowed from his lips as I took his length into my hand. I simply held him at his base, letting his heat spread across my palm. There would be no stroking. Not yet. Kane had a lesson to learn. The meek may eventually inherit the Earth some day, but it was the tricky bitch that got his mate everyday.

I continued our conversation – one-sided as it was – as if we were simply chatting about the weather. "Of course, if you don't like maple syrup…"

"I like maple syrup."

I didn't think he even realized he was talking. "There are plenty of alternatives." I proceeded to list them, delight growing by the second. "Chocolate syrup is an oldie but a goodie. Very tasty. How about caramel? That's extra sticky. Or butterscotch. You know, people don't really give butter scotch a chance. I can't imagine why, though. I saw we become advocates for butterscotch. It is extremely under advertised."

Those massive hands of his finally discovered a purpose. Which was to clamp onto my shoulders. His fingers pressed into my muscles. I couldn't tell if he was restraining me or himself. "Chris… Please…"

I had my Big Bad Wolf right where I wanted him. Hard and on edge. "We've known each other two days, Kane, and that's enough time for me to know without a shadow of a doubt that you never beg anyone for anything. Except me, that is." I drew his thick dick out of his pants, slowly stroking as I let my words sink into what was left of his brain. "You only say _please_ when asking for something only I can give you." His blue eyes burned into mine. I refused to look away. "That happens to be a two-way street, by the way. Don't you remember me begging for you this morning? '_Please, Kane, give it to me, I want it_.' Ringin' any bells, Big Bad?"

"I _hurt_ you." Barely more than a whisper. Eyes so full of pain and regret, it made me love him even more. "I never should have done that. It should _never_ have happened." Kane's emotions proved how far from monstrous he truly was. A heartless beast would never care that much. Would never sacrifice his own happiness in order to protect the one he loved. And I would always be there to protect Kane. Even from his own misguided attempts at chivalry.

"All that happened was two people enjoying each other. That's all that matters. You and me and the time we spend together. Like right now." I lowered to my knees, ignoring the twigs and pebbles digging into my skin. Kane's hard cock stood inches from my lips. Its helmeted head glistened enticingly. My hand continued to slide along his shaft as I rubbed the tip across my lips. "Right now, all I want to do is suck your dick."

"_Chris_." Another warning, even as his hands fisted in my hair. "You don't know what you're doing."

Silly man. If there was one thing of which I was certain, it was how to please Kane.

I swept my tongue across that leaking head, gathering up his juices. "Am I doing it right, Kane?" His response was to curse like a cowboy with his britches full of cactus needles. Despite his earlier protests, Kane bucked into my grip. His hand urged my head closer. So insistent. God, it was more fun than should have been allowed! "I love the way you taste. Have I mentioned that? Makes me want to lick you like a lollipop. Swirl you in my mouth until you're all wet. Suck you slow so you'll last all afternoon." I fluttered the tip with my tongue again, reveling in Kane's shudders.

Was I being evil? Yes. Did he deserve it? A little bit. The man _had_ walked out on me while I was mostly naked. I simply could not allow such actions to go unchecked.

"_Here's_ the fairness," I dutifully informed him. "This is the balance. You're big and strong and can probably break me a hundred times over. But this right here is my power. Taking all that careful control and unraveling it thread by thread until you're hot and horny. Until your sole focus is me and the way I make you feel. So tell me, Kane. What are you thinking? Penny for your thoughts."

Again, being always right was awesome.

Except for the rare occasion where I was utterly wrong.

Taking two very large steps backwards, Kane withdrew his sensitive flesh from my hand. He tucked himself back into his jeans before righting his clothing. At least he didn't turn his back on me again. That would have been too much to endure twice in one day.

I had been so sure. So absolutely certain that my plan would succeed. Kane would see the light. We would return to our amazingly intense relationship as if we had never gone astray.

Defeated, I rose to my feet. Mentally preparing myself for the walk of shame back to the house. If Mark shoved his ugly mug in my face, then I was going to clean his clock, consequences be damned.

"Where are you going?" Kane asked as I tried to move past him.

I dragged my eyes up to his face for what I felt would be the final time. He actually looked surprised that I was leaving. "Back to my cabin," I replied. "Before your brother puts his big boot on my ass and kicks me out." If I never laid eyes on another wolf, I would consider myself blessed.

Kane gripped my arm, firmly but gently. "Twenty-three."

"What?"

He smiled. The first real sign of amusement I had seen in a long while. "You asked me how many impure thoughts I had since you walked out here. The answer is twenty-three. Could be more, but I lost count once my zipper went down." Kane took me by surprise and kissed me. Soft and sweet, with his fingers caressing my face and his tongue teasing little groans from my throat. The equally sudden loss of his lips tipped me off balance. "I love that I can taste myself on your lips. You are the hottest thing since the Sun's first spark."

If I were in my right mind, I would have agreed with him. But I wasn't. I was too busy trying to fuse my body to his so that nothing short of a nuclear blast could ever tear us apart again.

"I want to take you somewhere," he managed between pecks at my lips that were never, _ever_ enough. "A special place that no one else knows about. I want to share it with you, Chris. Assuming you're not afraid to be alone with me. After what I did to you this morning…"

I placed my hand over his mouth to shut him off. "No more apologies. I chose you, Kane. I haven't got a single regret. Now take me to your secret special place so we can be secret and special together until the lube runs out."


	17. SIXTEEN

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**SIXTEEN**

I didn't expect Kane to lead me to his car. I most certainly didn't expect him to press me against the side. The weight of his body nearly crushed me into the metal. I managed a startled gasp that was quickly swallowed by his mouth. Then I knew only his teeth and tongue and scorching heat. Fingers twisted tight in my hair as I found myself being rapidly devoured. I hung onto him as if my life depended on it.

It probably did.

"Want to take you there," Kane sighed, making a meal of my lips.

Lungs screaming for oxygen, I came up for air. "Take me there, take me here. I'm not too picky." Any vehicle large enough to transport Kane could easily conceal any outdoor mischief. Perhaps not one of my classier moments, but the man was a walking solicitation for sex. Any time and any place was fine by me.

Kane tried to show restraint. Tried to put some distance between our bodies. He managed to back up three inches. "Mating call," he said, shaking his head. He smiled at me, clearly amused by something I couldn't understand. "Rocky said it'd be strong, but _damn…_ All I can think about is your legs around my waist and…" Kane didn't need to explain further. The thrusting of his hips spoke volumes.

Not for the first time, I wondered how I had gotten so lucky. I had come out here to put old what's-his-name behind me and discovered this spectacular specimen of manhood. Ferociously passionate yet conscientious of my feelings. I fully intended to show my appreciation.

"If you like, we can go back inside." My hands coasted across his chest. My palms itched to feel his bare skin. "I'm sure they still have a wide selection of breakfast toppings."

With great effort, Kane backed away. "No. I want to share this with you. A place just for us."

A more promising prospect I had yet to hear.

After leaving the cluster of cars, we pulled out onto a narrow road. "I don't remember coming this way." The wilderness was dense on either side. It pressed close to the concrete. Clusters of branches stretched overhead, occasionally blocking out the sun.

"You and Jeff came through what we call the visitor's entrance." Kane gifted me with a wide grin. "Cuts down on the uninvited guests and solicitors."

Was there anything more beautiful on Earth than Kane practically bouncing with joy?

Yes.

Kane crawling towards me, buck naked with lust in his eyes.

In that moment, I was nearly overcome by the urge to throw off my seatbelt and force the car to the side of the road. I wanted to climb into Kane's lap, hold his face in my hands, and kiss him senseless. I wanted him to make love to me up against the steering wheel. Truthfully, that did not seem like too unreasonable of a request.

I forced myself to behave. I would wait until we arrived at this secret place. Only then would I beg for him to fuck me hard and deep.

Self-control. I had it. Or, at the very least, faked it well enough.

Soon the road took an upward slant. We climbed. Winding around what felt too steep to simply be a hill. I ventured a peek out the window and instantly regretted it. The edge of the road ended mere inches from the tires. Beyond it was nothing. Empty space. And down below…

My imagination ran away with me in a less pleasant manner than I was accustomed. Across my mind, in vivid detail, played the one hundred and one ways we could injure and kill ourselves should the edge of the road suddenly disintegrate.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I asked what I thought to be a valid question. "Where on God's green Earth have you taken me?" It suddenly occurred to me that I had been stolen away by a madman. A sex god, yes, but one obviously quite insane to have become immune to the possible terrors caused by a misplaced wheel.

If any other man had laughed at me then, I would have knocked his teeth down his throat. Damn the bloody consequences. Since Kane's laugh did more for my soul than herbal tea and sneezing panda videos, I let it slide.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of heights."

"It's not the height," I assured him, my eyes still closed. "It's the rapid descent and sudden stop that worries me."

He rested a hand on my knee. A small comfort since I would have preferred he kept them both on the wheel.

Before my sudden case of nerves forever ruined my reputation, a cabin came into view. Cozily nestled into the side of the mountain. And a bit too close to the edge for my liking. The car came to a stop a few feet from the front porch.

My Kane was a gentleman. He graciously opened the door for me. I remained grateful that my knees did not knock together. Even though I saw with my own eyes Kane standing on the quite firm ground, the rest of my body took more convincing

Holding out his hand, Kane said, "I could carry you."

I had been supported by those arms before. The man wasn't bluffing. Still, I forced myself out of the car. I had my pride. That didn't mean I didn't take his offered hand. I was a sucker for skin to skin contact.

For some reason, I had expected Kane's cabin to mirror the one Jeff and I had rented. Wall to wall comfort with top of the line everything. Kane, I would soon learn, had simpler tastes.

The interior was rustic yet still cozy. A beat up leather couch beside the door, adorned with patches of duct tape where someone had tried to mend it. A simple plywood bookcase stood nearby. Its shelves practically filled to bursting with books. The stove was the wood burning sort, most likely a primary source of heat in the winter. The only appliances were a refrigerator and microwave that had been new during the first Bush administration.

Unsurprisingly, my eyes were drawn to the bed. Impressively large. One built for a man of Kane's stature. I wanted to take a running leap at it. Throw myself down on it and call Kane to join me.

It wasn't until I ventured deeper that I discovered the cabin's main attraction. Opposite the bed was a floor to ceiling window. It took up more than half the length of the cabin.

The view left me speechless. The forest lay far below us, a lush green carpet stretching for miles. Try as I might, my eyes could not penetrate the thick canopy to spy the road that had brought us up here. I felt like I stood at the top of the world.

I did not stand alone. Kane was at my back. Firm. Solid. The hands on my hips held me in place. My mind wandered from the natural splendor spread before me. I vividly recalled those hands on my hips hours earlier. Pounding. Moaning. Collapsing. Cuddling. The messy aftermath faded from memory. It didn't matter. Kane stood with me now. Radiating warmth and security.

"I come up here to think." Kane spoke softly, though there was no one else around to overhear. His tone was private. Intimate. His words for my ears only. "It's a difficult life. Not that I want to complain. Mark says that any day above ground is a good day. But this is a big secret to keep. And I hate having to lie to people who consider themselves my friend. It gets to be too much sometimes."

I could only imagine. My life would be a misery if I was unable to occasionally spill my guts to Jeff. We shared everything. Well, almost everything. I could live without knowing the details of his relationship with Mark and I didn't plan to kiss and tell when it came to Kane. Some things were just too personal.

"That's why I'm grateful to have you." Kane turned me away from the window. His smile outshone the sun. "Around you, I can completely be myself. I don't have to hide. I don't worry about being rejected. I finally have someone I can trust."

"You trust Mark," I pointed out. Truthfully, the pain in the ass did not deserve such a wonderful brother.

Kane's smile took on a lascivious twist. "Not the same. You trust Jeff, right? But can you imagine doing with him what you've done with me? When you first saw that bed, did you picture him pressing you down into the mattress, pinning your hands above your head, and doing everything in his power to drive you wild?"

Swallowing hard, I croaked, "No… Hell no…" I licked my suddenly dry lips. "Can we do that now?"

The man had the nerve to laugh at me when I was being completely serious. I'd have to teach him to show me more respect.

Kane held my face in his hands. His thumb stroked back and forth across my lips. "I don't want to give you back to Jeff. I don't want you to go back to the real world and forget about me. I can't stand the thought of being alone again."

"I'm not going anywhere, Big Bad." While I wasn't looking forward to any time spent away from Kane, I knew it wouldn't be long. His place or mine, we would make it work. "Even if it means spending Christmases with Mark. And just as a head's up, he's getting butt ugly sweaters from me every year."

Kane chuckled. "You two really don't get along."

There was no hiding the obvious and no point denying it. "I love you enough not to be completely insufferable around him. Our problem is that we both care about you and are hell bent on being right all the time. If things get out of hand, you'll just have to kiss me quiet."

"What guarantee do I have that you won't just be naughty on purpose?"

My Kane was a sly one.

"Absolutely none. You should expect nothing but naughtiness from me." No truer words had ever been spoken.


	18. SEVENTEEN

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**SEVENTEEN**

We made a game out of undressing. Traded a piece of information for an article of clothing. Communication was vital in a healthy relationship.

I went first. "I like making snow angels and having my hair pulled." I toed off my boots and my socks. "That counts as two." My plan involved getting naked as quickly as possible.

The wide eyed shock on Kane's face didn't last long. "You are strange and yet so endearing. I intend to make both of those things happen as soon and as often as possible. My turn. I squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom and am curious about shower sex. I'd like to try that with you." He kicked his boots across the room and tossed his socks after them. "I'd like to try a lot of things with you."

"Duly noted." I began unbuttoning my shirt. Actually, it was Kane's shirt. He had let me borrow it. "I like wearing your clothes." Though they did not fit properly, I didn't care about style. I loved keeping a piece of him close to my skin.

Kane quickly became topless. "I like seeing you in my clothes." Off went his pants before a final declaration could be made. "I love that my scent is all over you. So fucking sexy."

The man knew a thing or two about being sexy. Towering over me. Buck naked and obviously aroused. With that lustful, determined look in his eyes. I knew playtime was over.

The man's speed was unimaginable. One minute I stood with my hands on my zipper, trying to think of something suave to say, and the next I was flat on my back on the bed with my pants having gone God only knew where. Kane loomed over me. Larger than life. He filled my vision, blocking out the rest of the room.

"My scent." His voice pitched lower. The words rumbled from deep within his chest. "In your hair. On your skin. Mine."

Kane's kiss was purely possessive. He mapped the contours of my mouth with his tongue. Tasted me as only he was allowed. Drew from me helpless sighs. I moaned, completely at his mercy.

With my submission came desire. Passion flared. Scorching. Blazing bright. Fire in my veins. I burned for him. Yearned for the power of his hands around my wrists, pinning me down. Hungered for the saltiness of his skin as I licked a slick trail down his chest. Ached for the thickness of his cock sliding between my lips. I longed to suck and suck until his creamy come filled my mouth. Did I not deserve the pleasure of swallowing his spunk?

Kane remained in control. The Big Bad Wolf come to eat me up.

My mouth was not enough. He sought to claim my entire body. Abandoning my lips, he went straight for my throat. Teeth nipped, leaving glaring red marks in their wake. His tongue swirled and soothed. He lapped at my pulse point, causing it to race all the quicker. I struggled to hold on to my dignity, but soon gave that up too. There was no shame in letting go. I was safe here. No judgment. Only love.

Kane's fingers did not lay idle. They teased and tormented me. Plucking at my stiff nipples. So sensitive as to be almost unbearable. Mouth soon followed fingers. The heat of his breath blazed across each tender peak. I arched my body closer to those wicked lips. Kane made me eager and anxious. I needed more.

My earlier boast of being able to unravel Kane's self-control had been turned against me. Now I was the one on the verge of falling apart. I pleaded with half-formed words, nearly out of my mind. Those words turned to whimpers as I struggled to get my message across. I'd had enough of sweet kisses and tender touches. I ached to be joined with him. To be filled and fucked until neither of us had a drop of energy left.

"Mate with me." My fingers tangled in his hair.

Those more than human eyes looked up at me. "What did you say, Chris?"

I coaxed him up, gently tugging on his hair until we were nearly nose to nose. "Mate with me," I repeated. "That's what wolves do, right?"

"Yes, but…" Kane anxiously licked his lips. "I don't think you understand…"

"I understand plenty." I wrapped my hand around his hard cock to prove my point. "I understand that I'm the only one that can make you this way. The only one that can touch you this way. I understand that you matter more to me than people I have known most of my life. Most important of all, I understand that nothing and no one will ever come between us. I chose you, Kane. The good, the bad, and the mind blowing sex."

From a drawer built into the headboard, Kane retrieved a bottle of lotion. "It's not just sex," he said. "We mate to plant the seed. Even if it is impossible for one to take root, the drive still exists. The mating call is in our blood. Once I start, Chris, I won't be able to stop. Not until I've emptied myself inside you." He slicked the lotion on his shaft, knowing my eyes followed his every movement. "Do you understand the amount of time and energy involved? I could spend hours loving you."

When would he realize that I didn't need convincing? "Where else would I rather be than here with you? Mate with me, Kane. Give me everything."

Kane's smile lit up my world. Brilliant blue eyes raked down my naked body. They lingered on my hips. On the bruises had yet to fade. He touched them lightly. "I can't promise I won't make the same mistake again."

"Not a mistake."

"But I will always make up for the hurt I cause you."

Before I could protest that there was nothing to make up for, nothing that needed forgiving, Kane mounted me. Took me deep from behind. Only my last shred of self-control kept me from coming. Gasping, groaning, I shuddered around the sudden intrusion. Had it only been a few hours since I had last taken Kane to the hilt? Since I'd felt that glorious cock buried balls deep, stretching me almost to my limit? It seemed like days had gone by. I was ill-prepared for the sensations caused by his thick dick. Lightning rocketed up my spine.

Kane trapped me with his body. The weight of his chest forced me down onto the mattress. My hot skin pressed into the wonderfully cool sheets. His muscular arms enveloped me. Became the perfect prison. Smiling lips brushed my ear. Teeth soon followed. Kane nibbled away at my will power. Taking tiny bites until my bones threatened to shake apart. For some unfathomable reason, he deliberately withheld the sweet satisfaction of his thrusting hips. The delay of my gratification was pure torture.

"Please…" I dug my fingers into the soft pillows, about ready to tear them to shreds. "I need you, Kane."

"I'm right here," he whispered. His voice was feather soft and smooth as honey. Ecstasy for my ears. "Can't you feel me?"

A simple swivel of his hips nearly destroyed me. Not the forceful pounding I desired, but full of so much promise. If Kane wished to take me slow and sweet, I would not complain. If he planned on fucking me until the bed broke, he'd hear no protest from me. Patience had never been one of my virtues. The thing I hated most was to wait.

I did not have to wait much longer. Kane gave in to the mating call.

We took the slow path. Savored each stroke. Delighted in the delicious friction of our sweat-slick skin. Kane and I connected on a level I never knew existed. Two bodies, one mind. The world outside our cabin, the world beyond the walls faded. It didn't matter. I needed only my Kane. My mate.

"You are mine," sighed Kane. He twined his fingers with mine, grip tightening as the pace quickened. "My sweetest joy. My heart. My soul. Bright and beautiful as the full moon."

He touched my heart as no other had ever before. Loved me without end. Set no conditions. Made no demands. Offered perhaps more than I deserved. I wanted nothing more than to be all those things to him. "I am yours, Kane." The spasms began. One after another until I couldn't tell when one ended and the next began. "I…" Could barely breathe. "I…" Gasped for air. Grew tight around him. Held on for dear life. "I love you."

For one frightful moment, my heart stopped beating. Too much passion. Too much fire. More than I could bear. The second passed and I drew a breath. My heart started again and I fell. Dropped into the heart of ecstasy. It tore me apart, shattered my mind. It was beautiful and terrifying and I never wanted it to end. I cried out as I came. Pouring out my love for Kane. Pledged my life to him.

"My seed." Kane drove deep. Released his most precious gift. "My future in you."

I took it all. Twitched and moaned beneath him. Thick streams of spunk filled me. My face dropped onto the pillow as I waited for the flow to abate. I waited for Kane to grow soft and withdraw.

Then I remembered.

The mating call was only satisfied once Kane had nothing left to give. Until he could come no more. The ejaculation may have stopped, but Kane remained hard as ever. This was far from over.

Peeking over my shoulder, I asked, "We're not done, are we?"

Kane simply smiled. He rolled onto his side, taking me with him. Simply held me against his chest. His thickness inside me provided a sweet distraction. "Wait until you see the sunset. You'll never want to leave."

As if I would ever want to break away from him.

Craning my neck to see his face, I whispered, "My, my… What beautiful eyes you have."

His laugh thrummed through my body. "Really, Chris?"

"Come on, Big Bad." I stroked his cheek, reveling in the closeness of our bond. The heart beating against my back was strong and steady. Like my Kane. "Play along."

Smile broadening, he said, "All the better to see you with, my love."

Again, I asked myself how I got so lucky. "And my, my, what powerful arms you have." Those arms were wrapped around me. Securing me where I belonged.

Growling deep in his throat, Kane swirled his hips. The mating call sang in his blood. "The better to keep you close and keep you safe, my love."

He stirred passion deep within me. Stole away my breath. I trembled in his arms. "Oh God, Kane, your _cock_…" No more games. No more teasing smiles. There was only the thrust of his hips, the heat of his skin, and the promise of forever.


	19. EPILOGUE

**Hungry Like the Wolf**

**EPILOGUE**

Typically, I was the last person to admit to being wrong. It wounded my pride. Left a foul taste in my mouth. A wholly unpleasant experience that I avoided at all costs.

In time, I learned to swallow my pride. I owned up to my mistake.

Four years after watching the first of many spectacular sunsets from our mountain retreat, I discovered I actually could love another person as much as I loved Kane. Granted, the tiny face frowning up at me did not cause the same kind of stirrings in my heart.

Cassidy had Kane's eyes, my blonde hair, and her uncle's contentious disposition. She spoke her mind and was an unholy terror when she didn't get her way.

Cassidy asked questions. To a five year old, the world was full of mysteries waiting to be understood.

Where do the butterflies go in the winter?

How can the Easter Bunny make eggs?

Do fish have ears?

The question most often heard from her lips was being directed at me that moment. "Why?"

The only confrontation more daunting than an enraged werewolf was an indignant kindergartener. Cassidy did not whine or wail. Tantrums were so beneath her. Instead, she remained calmly persistent. Cassidy intended to wear us down until we gave in or at least gave her an explanation she found satisfactory.

Unfortunately _because Papa is a shapeshifter that gets incredibly horny and likes to fuck Daddy's brains out_ was not an answer I was prepared to give my daughter. Cassidy didn't understand where we went every month or why we couldn't bring her along. Being the center of our universe, she had certain expectations. She went where we went. No exceptions.

Except for this.

Cassidy slept with a Tinkerbell night light. She made us check in her closet and under her bed every night, on the lookout for everything from homicidal clowns to multi-toothed monsters that liked to munch on little girls. How could we even begin to explain Kane's strange heritage?

"It's just something me and Papa do together, all on our own."

She propped her hands on her hips. An immediate indication that there was trouble ahead. "Then why do Uncle and our Jeff go, too?"

The kid was too smart for her own good.

Kane set out to save me. Kneeling down to her level, he said, "It's a grown up thing, Cassie. You'll understand when you're older."

That _when you're older_ crap did not fly well. "But I _am_ older! I was four last year and I'm five now! That's older!"

Difficult to argue against such logic.

My other half was better at it than myself. Which served to reason. He'd been keeping up the illusion of normalcy for most of his life. "It's something Daddy and I need to do. That doesn't mean we won't miss you like crazy. So next weekend, the three of us will go camping."

Cassidy loved the great outdoors. She got that from Kane, too. We weren't sure where she learned to negotiate, though. That was a trait all her own. "Can we roast hot dogs?"

"Yes," said Kane.

"And make marshmallow sandwiches?"

She meant S'mores. Which meant she'd be running wild on an epic sugar high.

"Yes."

"And I don't have to take a bath?"

Nothing like a grubby, hyper five year old to keep us on our toes. Still, we knew which battles to fight and which to surrender. How filthy could she get in only two days?

"It'll be a bath-free weekend."

"Can Glenn come, too?" She referred to the stuffed grey timber wolf that was her constant companion. It guarded her against all the bad things. Including baths.

That was a concession we could not make. "Cassie, the woods is no place for a wolf," I explained. "Well, not one like Glenn, anyway. What if he got dirty or lost?"

"I won't lose him!" swore Cassidy, full of passion. "And we can't leave him behind! It's not nice!"

How could someone so little produce so much guilt?

The doorbell rang, saving us from our tiny tyrant.

Quality babysitters were hard to find. Kane and I couldn't trust our most precious gift with just anyone. So we stuck with family.

Matt Hardy stood on our doorstep, prepared to brave the wilds of Disney marathons, blanket fort, tree climbing, and bath avoiding. He armed himself with a pair of foam swords and a giant roll of bubblewrap.

"We'll talk about it later," said Kane. That phrase was almost as bad as _you'll understand when you're older_. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "I love you, cub."

Cassidy threw her arms around his neck. Shrieking with delight as he picked her up and spun her around. Back on the ground and slightly dizzy, she said, "Love you, too, Papa. Bring me back a squirrel."

"I'll see what I can do."

I sucked at goodbyes. As much as Kane and I needed this time alone – I could not imagine the chaos of a full grown wolf wandering around our cul-de-sac – I hated being away from our little girl. She was the best thing we ever did. "You be sure to listen to Matt. No misbehaving. And more importantly…"

"No biting," Cassidy recited from memory. "I know, Daddy. I'll be good."

A kiss and a hug later, we were out the door. Cassidy stood at the threshold with Glenn tucked under her arm. She said goodbye as only she could.

She howled.

Throwing the final bag into the backseat, Kane answered her call with a howl of his own.

Matt simply shook his head. He was used to our oddity.

Sliding into the passenger's seat, I asked, "How did we get so lucky?"

"I have no idea." Kane kissed me quick. A preview of things to come. The full moon rose tonight. "But I say we head up to the cabin and try to make another one."

**END**


End file.
